


Healer and the White Samurai

by Spunky0ne



Category: Bleach
Genre: F/M, Juushiro is AWESOME, M/M, May/December Relationship, Mpreg
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-18 07:40:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 68,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28863450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spunky0ne/pseuds/Spunky0ne
Summary: As Juushiro lays dying in the ruins of the Seireitei, he is somehow saved by the touch of a powerful young healer. In the wake of Ywach's fall, Juushiro and his friends find themselves swept up in a desperate attempt to understand a lost piece of the Soul King's history.
Relationships: Abarai Renji/Kuchiki Rukia, Byakuya/Toshiro, Ichigo/Uryu, Juushiro/Tetsuya
Comments: 23
Kudos: 11





	1. Last Thoughts

_So…this is what it’s like to finally die._

_I don’t feel any pain anymore. That’s good. I think Shunsui would compare it to the blessed numbness after a bottle of the best sake in existence. My friend, I hope you find that bottle and pour a glass for me when you do._

_As for me, I’m at peace with my body finally breaking down into spirit particles…spreading out across Soul Society and becoming one with it. That doesn’t sound so terrible. I’m afraid of not being aware anymore, not able to see and hear and feel anything. But I leave, knowing that I’ll still be an important part of it all. Particles that were a part of me will be in the sky with the clouds that Shunsui and I laid under and looked up into. They will be in the air that my loved ones will still breathe, when they sigh and remember me. They will be in the fires of new romance and life. And they will be in the still waters I rested alongside. Yes, I will still be here, and the ones who loved me will feel my presence. We all are born of this essence, these spirit particles, and that is where we go when we die._

“Ukitake-sama,” a youthful male voice said, seeping into the dying 13th division taichou’s thoughts, “Ukitake-sama, what has happened to you?”

Juushiro’s eyes moved sluggishly and slowly opened and tried to focus.

“It will be all right, Ukitake-sama. The ones attending you were knocked out in the destruction of the last battle.”

“H-heal them,” Juushiro managed in a thick, broken voice, “It’s f-fine. I knew I w-was going to die when I…”

It was then that he sensed the glow that was radiating warmly around his body. He blinked and registered that the glow wasn’t just around him, but was also encompassing the slender form of the one who bent over him.

_Who is this?_

_Is he a member of Squad Four? His reiatsu is strong, like a fighter’s, but his healing touch is…it’s unbelievable!_

_Who…?_

“I healed the others and had them taken to safety already. And you are not going to die, Ukitake-sama,” the young man promised, washing Juushiro’s face gently with a cool, wet washcloth, "I admit that you were dying when I found you, but…well…I’m not sure what happened.

_I know this power._

_Way back when I was three and I was so sick and dying that my parents gave my soul to Mimhagi-sama, I heard them speak of there still being hope. While I was recovering and they thought I couldn’t hear, my mother told my father of a legendary healer, one whose soul is said to be returned endlessly to the soul well to be reborn whenever he dies. And each time his soul is reborn, this healer’s power connects with one lost soul, one hopeless and dying person whom he can save and give his heart to._

_Am I just dreaming?_

“I have cleaned most of the sludge away,” the young healer’s voice told him, “but I need to take you somewhere safe.”

Juushiro started to object, but went silent again as cool, soft fingertips touched his lips.

“ _Gomen nasai_ ,” the young man apologized, “There are still quincies about, and with their leader fallen, some are attacking recklessly. Please, I have stabilized you. My stallion is here, and I will hold on to you, so that you will not fall. Arashi has a gentle gait. Please come, Ukitake-sama.”

Juushiro was surprised that he was able with the healer’s help to climb onto shaky legs. The black horse in front of them was tall, but at the sight of the injured taichou, he carefully lowered himself onto his knees and waited quietly as his master helped him on.

“Arashi,” Juushiro whispered dazedly, “Aren’t you…? Isn’t your master…?”

“I am Arashi’s master,” the healer informed him, “I am Kuchiki Tetsuya.”

Even badly weakened, Juushiro couldn’t stop the genuine smile that came to his lips.

“Takao’s boy, Tetsuya!” he exclaimed softly, “I remember your mother and father.”

“Please, Ukitake-sama,” Tetsuya pleaded, “We can talk when we reach the encampment. Orihime-chan arrived there just recently with my cousin, Rukia-chan. I am sure that…”

“I have had my lungs given to the god, Mimhagi-sama in exchange for letting me live this long,” Juushiro explained, “I am sorry, Tetsuya. You are wasting your time.”

_Or is he?_

_Was I just dreaming or did my mother really say that story was true?_

“Don’t speak that way, Ukitake-sama,” Tetsuya said firmly, “I’ve stabilized your reiatsu and you are not dying now. Are you saying that you are in a gradual decline?”

“N-no!” Juushiro insisted, earning another worried rebuke from his determined companion, “I felt my lungs declining as soon as the god left my body. He was consuming them as I laid dying.”

“If that’s so,” Tetsuya said, skeptically, “then how are you still talking to me? I know your lungs have always been troubled.”

“Because when I was a child and I was dying of a lung affliction, they were given to…”

“To Mimhagi-sama,” Tetsuya remembered, “Yes, you told me.”

He set the injured taichou in kido restraints, so that he wouldn’t fall, then mounted in front of him.

“You are not going to fall,” Tetsuya assured him, but if it feels better for you to hold on, then wrap your arms around me.”

Arashi stepped forward slowly and Juushiro’s arms instinctively wrapped around Tetsuya’s slim waist. He rested his head wearily on the young man’s shoulder, breathing in the pleasant scent of him and closing his eyes.

“The Seireitei is a mess,” Juushiro sighed, “I know Shunsui said it’s just buildings, and that they can be replaced, but there is so much damage…”

“Well, I am sure that after we take care of the damage to our people, we will rebuild,” Tetsuya posited, looking around as Arashi carefully picked his way through the piles of debris.

“Did you say there was an encampment?” Juushiro mumbled sleepily, “Is this where you relocated your relatives?”

“It is,” Tetsuya confirmed, “We were able to evacuate swiftly, as we had practiced. The clans that were prepared as we were fared well, but I have heard that a few clans remained to defend their homes, and that some were completely annihilated.”

“ _Kami_ ,” Juushiro whispered sadly, holding onto Tetsuya a little more tightly, “I am glad for the ones who survived, but…so much loss.”

“Word has come that Central 46 was invaded and that the sages and judges were slaughtered, save the ones who remained with their families _and_ evacuated. But the loss amounts to nearly two thirds of the council.”

Juushiro encountered a moment of sheer breathlessness at the news and he felt suddenly that Tetsuya was looking back over a slender shoulder at him, bringing their faces suddenly close together. His eyes opened and met Tetsuya’s large blue ones quietly.

“ _Sumimasen_ ,” the young man said more softly, “We should focus on your healing. News of the war will be around for us to consider later.”

Tetsuya nodded in the direction of a very slight shimmer in the air ahead of them.

“There is the barrier. We will be through in a moment and Orihime-chan can have a look at you. My field healing is adequate, but hers is...”

“I’d say yours is better than adequate,” Juushiro chuckled, "You know, I shouldn’t even still be alive. I _know_ I felt my lungs being eaten away.”

“Oh, that can’t be true,” Tetsuya chided him, “You look so much better. How would that be, if your lungs had been eaten away? I am not doubting your story, but I can feel it. You are going to be fine, Ukitake-sama.”

“Well, I can’t argue without confirming what you say is true,” Juushiro laughed, his body resonating with a soft, odd vibration that tickled his senses pleasantly, “It does look like you were able to stabilize me. I will be very interested in what your family healers have to say about it. I assure you…”

“You must have been mistaken,” Tetsuya assured him, bringing the stallion to a stop in front of the entrance to a large cave, “That is the only explanation for how easily I healed you. I am a good healer, but to do what you are suggesting would take more power than I have, for certain.”

“Ah, you’re probably right,” Juushiro sighed, shaking his head in capitulation.

His eyes brightened as Rukia flash stepped into their path, with Orihime at her side. Both looked on in amazement as Tetsuya helped Juushiro down off Arashi’s back.

“Ukitake taichou!” shouted an approaching Kuchiki family attendant, “Please sir, let us bring a litter to carry you in.”

“No, no,” the white-haired man chuckled good naturedly, leaving shocked looks on the faces of all but Tetsuya, “I am feeling much better after Tetsuya-san’s healing. I actually feel better than I have in months! There is no burning in my chest anymore at all, and no coughing all of the way here.”

The aged lead healer of the Kuchiki clan appeared behind the others and moved forward, his expression mirroring that of the others around him.

“Ukitake taichou,” he said incredulously, “word had arrived that you had suffered a debilitating condition, and you were not expected to return. But you look oddly well, and I don’t think I’ve felt your reiatsu to be this strong.”

“You can thank Kuchiki Tetsuya for that,” Juushiro explained, earning more shocked looks from the others and a doubtful frown from Tetsuya, himself.

“It wasn’t any particular technique,” Tetsuya assured them, “I only used my stronger reiatsu to infuse his body and stabilize him. It was basic field healing. Perhaps…perhaps he just wasn’t as hurt as everyone thought he was.”

“But I haven’t coughed once since I woke with Tetsuya leaning over me,” Juushiro said wonderingly, “And what was that strange glow around our bodies?”

“A glow?” Tetsuya mused, “W-well, I guess there was a glow. I was just so focused on you, I don’t know if I really saw it or not.”

“And I was half out of it,” Juushiro said ruefully, “I suppose I could have been imagining it, but…how do we explain that I am not only alive, but I seem to be growing stronger by the minute?”

“I will tell you what it is,” the old healer said with certainty, earning the others’ curious gazes, “It’s a miracle!”

XXXXXXXXXX

Shunsui strode silently alongside the returning taichous as they exited the tenchurren and gathered together in the spot near the twelfth division, where they had been launched. Their faces reflected surprise at the lack of movement in the area, and the group broke into a flurry of heated exclamations.

“Where is everyone?” Kurosuchi Mayuri demanded, “I left a group with the express purpose of making sure that Aizen Sousuke did not leave his chair! I’ll _kill_ those idiots with my bare hands if he gets away!”

“Eh,” Shunsui sighed, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck as he surveyed a group of dead bodies, huddled on the ground, “I think someone already did that for you. These look like what’s left of your group…and the reiatsu is definitely Ywach’s.”

“Over here!” called a youthful male voice that Byakuya and Toshiro immediately recognized as Ishida Uryu, one of Ichigo’s human friends, “I’ve got Ichigo…and Aizen!”

The taichous flash stepped to the place where the injured quincy held an unconscious Ichigo against him, with Aizen’s unconscious and heavily bound body nearby.

“Stay back from him!” Kurotsuchi roared, “He’s an enemy!”

“H-he’s not an enemy,” Ichigo panted, blinking dizzily, “Uryu helped me k-kill Ywach. I would’ve died without him. H-he’s a friend.”

The other taichous looked to the captain commander for his order.

“Let Ishida Uryu go,” Shunsui ordered them.

Mayuri gave him a skeptical look.

“I doubt Central 46 will take well to that,” he commented angrily, earning a look of disdain from the quincy youth.

“Well, since there aren’t enough of the sages or judges left to give any decision,” Shunsui reasoned, “we are legally under martial law. Until a new group of councilors is chosen, I am in command.”

He turned a friendly eye on the wary quincy youth and smiled.

“Why don’t you let Kotetsu Isane take care of Ichigo? He’s a little beat up, but he doesn’t look as bad as he should after fighting a god.”

“It took all four of us,” Ichigo said shakily, “Uryu, Renji, Aizen and me.”

“Where is Renji?” Byakuya asked quickly, looking around.

“We couldn’t find him,” Ichigo confessed, “B-byakuya, I’m sorry. We really tried.”

“It is obvious that you were badly injured, guarding Aizen and not up to the task,” Byakuya chided him, though his voice sounded oddly less stern than usual, “Leave it to me and let Isane heal you.”

“Thanks,” Ichigo panted, resting his head on Uryu’s shoulder as the healing team ran forward to assist them, “Thanks, Byakuya.”

Byakuya started to step past the two young men, then paused as Toshiro’s tired voice sounded behind him.

“I’ll help you, Kuchiki,” he offered.

“Don’t be ridiculous. You are barely on your feet,” Byakuya said dismissively.

“He’s right, Taichou,” Rangiku concurred, “You do look a little worn out.”

“Shut up and go look for our group,” Toshiro snapped, earning a pouting look from his annoyed fukutaichou, “I’m going with Byakuya to look for his fukutaichou. You go and get an accounting of whoever we have that’s left alive… _now_!”

“All right, all right, frosty,” the red-haired woman huffed, moving away, “Man, we just pretty much died together and what do I get the moment we get back…?”

Toshiro let out an impatient breath.

“What a pain,” he complained softly, noting the odd look of worry in Byakuya’s dark eyes, “Come on. We should work quickly. It will be getting dark soon.”

Shunsui watched as Byakuya and Toshiro left, then glanced back at the remains of his group.

“We need to start searching too,” he ordered in a low, serious voice, “I see Ywach’s corpse over there and I will take care of it. It’s too powerful to remain here, so Squad Zero has ordered it returned to the royal realm for… _proper disposal_.”

“I wonder what that means,” Uryu whispered, still holding Ichigo against him.

Ichigo gave him a weary, torn look.

“Maybe you don’t want to know,” he sighed, “I’m sure they’ll make sure he can’t come back.”

“I thought we made sure of that,” Uryu objected, giving the shinigami substitute a look of amusement.

“Well, he did come back from last time, right?” Ichigo reminded him, “You know, that whole Kaiser thing you told me about way too late for it to do us any good.”

“Hey! I said I didn’t know it was going to turn out the way it did. Nobody knew what exactly was going to happen.”

“I know,” Ichigo snickered, “I was teasing you.”

Uryu rolled his eyes and sighed softly.

“Well, at least if you’re making jokes, you’re probably not dying.”

“He’s going to be fine,” Isane assured them, looking up from where she knelt on his other side, “His reiatsu is just very depleted. His injuries actually are surprisingly minor.”

“I had a lot of help,” Ichigo said, looking up at Uryu, who huffed out a dismissive breath and looked away.

“None of the rest of us had the power to kill him,” he said solemnly.

“Yeah?” Ichigo declared stubbornly, “well, I wouldn’t have gotten a shot at him at all if it wasn’t for your arrow. What was in that, anyway? What stopped him like that for that moment?”

Uryu took a steadying breath, his mind going back into the past and a shiver going through his slim body.

“Silver,” he answered softly, “taken from my dead mother’s heart. It was what he used to kill her and the others through the Auswhalen.”

Ichigo’s golden brown eyes softened and warmed at his friend’s confession.

“I’m glad that something like that, something he wouldn’t have considered at all was the key to killing him. You avenged your mother.”

“So did you,” Ichigo said, leaning more deeply into Uryu’s shoulder as Isane continued his healing.

Uryu looked down at his friend with a lost expression.

“So…now what?” he whispered sadly, “What do we do?”

Ichigo smiled and captured his hand, squeezing gently.

“We go home.”


	2. Gifts

Byakuya watched out of the corner of one handsome grey eye as Toshiro ranged alongside him, moving off to his left or right to examine an area more closely, then returning to check in. He extended his senses carefully, but even given the quincy king’s death and the hasty retreat of the quincy soldiers, the air still hung thick with the dead king’s reiatsu that interfered annoyingly with even the close bond between the Kuchiki leader and his own fukutaichou.

_This has been a problem throughout the war, this ability they have to thicken the reiatsu to the point where our senses cannot penetrate. This is part of the reason that they are still dangerous, even in defeat. But despite the difficulty, Abarai must be found. Even disregarding my personal interest of protecting a friend and the man my sister loves, Renji is a valued officer whom we cannot afford to lose. Kami knows this war has erased so much talent that protected all of us. It will be a long time before we return our military to what it was prior to the war. Yes, it will take more than a hundred years._

“I didn’t sense anything over in this direction,” Toshiro reported, reaching up to brush the sweat from his forehead.

“Hmm,” Byakuya sighed absently, his eyes already combing an area they hadn’t approached, “I am going on to the next.”

Toshiro’s frown deepened and he studied Byakuya’s calm, but discomfited expression for a moment.

“It’s getting pretty late,” the tenth division taichou commented carefully, “We should probably suspend the search until morning, when it’s light.”

He immediately felt the flicker of Byakuya’s disturbed reiatsu and saw his noble companion bristle in response.

“Abarai may not have until tomorrow,” Byakuya responded matter-of-factly, “And what would you do if it was your fukutaichou?”

Byakuya’s touch on his arm made Toshiro stop as he prepared to expel an off-handed comment about his red-haired comrade.

“You pretend to be bothered by her, but you know what you felt when her life was threatened during the war. You would have done anything to protect her.”

Toshiro sighed resignedly.

“Yeah, but don’t tell her I said that.”

He frowned as he noted how low the sun was hanging in the sky.

“There’s more to it, though, than you wanting to save a comrade, a valued officer, even a friend, isn’t there?” he asked.

Byakuya went silent for several minutes, his dark eyes scanning the horizon and his senses reaching out to their limits. Some time later, he let out a long, discontented breath.

“There is more,” he confessed, “My sister is in love with that red-haired idiot.”

Toshiro couldn’t hold back a sad smile.

“You’re doing this for Rukia?” he inquired, “Kuchiki, that’s…”

He broke off as a bright flash of light erupted in front of them and a group of quincy soldiers launched themselves from within the shadows, one of them bearing down on Byakuya with killing intent.

“Look out, Kuchiki!” Toshiro shouted, sending Hyorinmaru into release with just a thought.

He threw himself into the path of the attack, firing an icy attack at the intruders. A sea of white arrows flew at him and the reiatsu thickened dangerously. Just as his ice barrier began to crumble, Byakuya’s petal blades surged around him, throwing the rest of the arrows off course and surrounding Toshiro protectively. The quincies held for a moment, then the combined reiatsu of the two taichous forced them back. Within moments, the taichous’ onslaught had them retreating back into the shadows. As the last was passing through, Byakuya stiffened at spotting a flash of familiar material at one quincy’s forehead and wrists.

_Those are the headband and wristbands I gave to Renji before the invasion!_

“Byakuya!” Toshiro shouted, tearing him out of his reverie too late to stop the last furious blast of reiatsu the fleeing quincies sent at him.

The noble saw a flash of movement in front of him, then heard Toshiro make a sound of intense pain. The light died, leaving him looking at Toshiro’s straight, proud back for a moment before his comrade started to collapse. He caught Toshiro as he fell, dropping onto his knees and staring down at the younger man in dismay.

_What was I thinking?_

_How could I let myself be distracted like that?_

_Now, Renji is still missing, and I have caused Toshiro to be injured protecting me._

He had little time to let his emotions about his error surface, as another shadowy doorway opened and another flurry of arrows erupted, forcing him to grab his stricken companion and head for the nearest cover.

 _I was careless and emotional…and that carelessness could have cost us our lives_!

XXXXXXXXXX

Juushiro rose out of a sleepy, tranquil haze and found himself looking up at Tetsuya’s smiling, but weary looking face.

“You’re back here again?” he asked in an amused tone, “Aren’t there injured people who need your attention more than I do?”

Tetsuya let the blue light around his hands fade and paused to run his hands over his face, then he patted his cheeks to rouse himself.

“The injured arrive in a steady stream,” he admitted softly, “and there are not enough healers. I go from room to room and do what I can, but if we do not have the healers we’ve sent for arrive soon…”

Tetsuya went silent as Juushiro’s hand curled around his forearm and the white-haired taichou sat up and faced him.

“You look exhausted,” he said worriedly, “I am fine now. You need to rest.”

Tetsuya shook his head firmly.

“I have managed to heal the terminal damage,” he explained, “but you will need many follow-up infusions to correct the damage done as your illness ravaged your body. It will be weeks before the treatments will be done. And we’ve found, for some reason, that the treatments I give you are more effective than that of the other healers in the family.”

Tetsuya looked down at his hands questioningly.

“I don’t understand it. I wasn’t trained for more than basic field healing. I was mentored by Byakuya-sama…trained for fighting.”

Juushiro gave him a gentle smile.

“You were trained for fighting out of necessity,” he corrected the younger man, “I am sure that Byakuya knew that you had some capacity for healing, but think about it. He had just rescued you from Itamigiri, and he saw that you were in danger of being harmed again if you could not protect yourself. I don’t think he was denying that you had healing potential, Tetsuya. He was doing what he felt was best for you. Byakuya was torn apart by his father’s death, and stung again at Soujun dying before Takao and Kiko could be found and all of you rescued. He made finding your family his mission. And when only you could be saved, he made sure that you were as protected as you could be.”

“Byakuya-sama shouldn’t feel guilty because of the hatred of others that harmed all of us,” Tetsuya sighed, blinking sleepily, “He was a teen when he planned the raid against the illegal noble’s prison. He did more than anyone could expect.”

Juushiro’s smile warmed charmingly.

“And _you_ have gone above and beyond, showing your gratitude. Tetsuya, maybe it’s a good thing that this healing ability has begun to emerge now. You have made Byakuya proud with your fighting ability. Now, you can shine even more brightly in a path you choose. Do you enjoy healing?”

Tetsuya paused, looking quietly down at his now unlit palms.

“It does feel good to heal people,” he confessed, “to watch as the hateful damage that others have done to them fades away. Within the prison, our abilities were stopped under limiters, but we could still manage little acts of healing for each other. After I was abused, my husband…erm…Naoki, would heal me. And when he was beaten, I would heal him. We were helpless in every other way, save that one. We were powerless. It was like our only act of rebellion was in erasing the hurts they placed on our comrades.”

“I wasn’t aware that you were married, Tetsuya,” Juushiro commented, “I do remember that you and another prisoner were close…that you…”

“Oh, Naoki and I were not officially married,” Tetsuya said, blushing, “It wasn’t allowed. But when we returned, after I lost the child that I was carrying, Byakuya-sama officially recognized our union by having Naoki and our baby buried at Kuchiki Manor.”

“I remember,” Juushiro said approvingly, “That caused quite a stir.”

He studied Tetsuya more quietly for a moment.

“I had forgotten that you are a breeder male.”

Tetsuya’s blush deepened.

“It was just another reason for some of the elders to hate me.”

He sighed and ran his hands over his face again.

“And I am not really one of them anymore,” he added in a tired, half-hearted tone, “My injuries made it unlikely I would ever conceive again.”

Juushiro gave him a sympathetic look and took hold of his hand, squeezing lightly.

“Tetsuya, you need to rest. I am doing much better, and I know you haven’t slept. Your attendant has been here several times, looking for you to get you to sleep.”

“I can’t sleep,” Tetsuya whispered, lowering his eyes, “When I do, I see Kuchiki Manor in flames, and I hear the children screaming as they run for safety.”

“But the children of your family all escaped, I heard,” Juushiro interjected.

Tetsuya’s eyes closed tightly as the memory flashed in his mind again.

“They were surrounded by white fire, and if I had miscalculated in my plans by even a fraction, they would have died right there on the path to safety. There was no room for error, because of the suddenness and violence of the quincies’ first attack wave.”

“We were all taken by surprise,” the white-haired taichou agreed, moving closer to Tetsuya and sliding a supportive arm around his shoulders, “You know what happened to the taichous in the opening battles, ne?”

Tetsuya nodded.

“It was horrible. What happened to my cousin and the others…especially what happened to Yamamoto Soutaichou. He was close to Ginrei-sama and Byakuya-sama.”

“Shh,” Juushiro breathed soothingly, “Put all of that out of your mind for awhile. Your cousin is safe and the enemy is in retreat. Your battle skills have been successful and now it is your healing skills that we need. But, you can’t heal anyone if you are too depleted, yourself. You must go back to your quarters and rest, Tetsuya.”

Tetsuya frowned and bit his lip gently, earning a knowing look from the elder man.

“You gave up your quarters, didn’t you?”

“It was necessary,” Tetsuya insisted, “I wasn’t being…”

“I know.”

“There are too many injured and not enough healers, not enough beds, not enough supplies. If we aren’t relieved by the fourth division soon…”

“They will come,” Juushiro whispered into his ear, coaxing the younger man down onto the bed, “and you don’t want them to arrive and have to treat you for exhaustion. If you have nowhere to go, then you can share my room.”

“No,” Tetsuya objected, “It wouldn’t be…”

“Tetsuya,” Juushiro laughed softly, “this is not the time to worry about being proper. Lie down. I am still recovering, so I can’t do much, but I do know how to induce a dreamless sleep.”

Tetsuya opened his mouth to object, only to have his breath stolen away again by the touch of the elders man’s fingertips on his face and a little flicker of reiatsu that made everything around him disappear into a calm, grey haze. Juushiro tucked him in and paused to let his fingers slide down Tetsuya’s porcelain cheek affectionately. Then, he settled on the other side of the bed and closed his eyes. As he was dropping off to sleep, still watching his lovely companion sleep out of the corner of one green eye, the door opened and Kuchiki Koji stepped into the room.

He paused, breathing a sigh of relief at seeing Tetsuya sleeping contentedly.

“Oh, thank goodness,” he sighed, smiling gratefully at Juushiro, “Michio has been worried about Tetsuya-san. He hasn’t slept in two days. Every time we convinced him to go and lie down, more wounded arrived.”

“Well, he’s sleeping now,” the white-haired taichou assured him, “Why don’t you grab that extra pillow and curl up in the corner. I know it isn’t soft, but it’s close to your master, so you’ll be there if he needs you.”

“Oh, you are very kind, Ukitake taichou, but…”

“But nothing,” Juushiro chided him, smirking, “You are supposed to watch out for him, ne?”

“W-well, yes,” Koji stammered.

“And if there’s one thing I’m sure of, it’s that Tetsuya doesn’t make it easy for you to keep up with him.”

“Ah…” Koji said, flinching uncomfortably, “I would never disrespect Tetsuya-san by…”

“You don’t have to say it,” Juushiro laughed, “I can see for myself. Come now, lie down and rest, Koji. You and Tetsuya have a lot of work ahead of you. You want to be well-rested for that.”

“Yes, Ukitake taichou,” Koji said, taking the pillow and moving to the indicated corner to lie down, “Thank you for your hospitality.”

“My hospitality,” the white-haired man mused, “I think you’ve got that backwards. This is your family compound. I should be thanking you for taking me in.”

“Oh…ah…”

“Go on. Get some sleep.”

“Arigatou, Ukitake taichou.”

“You’re welcome.”

XXXXXXXXXX

Ichigo felt soft, cool hands remove the cloth from his forehead, then a fresh cloth cleaned the sweat from his flushed face and throat. He opened his eyes, blinking and squinting, and encountered Uryu’s serious face looking down at him.

“H-hey, Uryu,” he greeted his friend weakly, “Watcha still doin’ here? I thought you’d be going home.”

He blinked and squinted harder, frowning at the lack of familiarity he felt with his surroundings.

“Where are we?” he asked, his words still slurring slightly from drowsiness.

“The Kuchiki encampment,” Uryu answered softly, “Kyouraku Shunsui said that we should take you here, because you passed out and I couldn’t get you to wake up. You’ve been out cold for hours and you spiked a fever from an infection in your wounds.”

“You still look a little beat up, yourself,” Ichigo commented, looking at his friend more closely, “Didn’t you get healed too?”

Uryu looked away, dipping the washcloth in a bowl of water and wringing it out.

“No,” he said quietly, “I didn’t feel comfortable asking shinigamis to heal an enemy.”

“Idiot!” Ichigo chided him, trying to sit up, then groaning and falling back.

Uryu scowled at him.

“It serves you right, trying to get up before you’re well. Just lie back down.”

“All right, all right, jeez,” Ichigo complained, dropping back onto his pillow, “But you shouldn’t make assumptions like that about Byakuya’s family. His staff knows you’re a friend of mine. I told Shunsui you helped me.”

“Well, that doesn’t mean that everyone’s automatically going to accept that!” Uryu snapped softly, “There are a lot of people here who aren’t members of Byakuya’s family. I’ve already done what I can to show that I’m not a threat.”

He held out his hands, exposing slim silver bands that wrapped around his wrists.

“Limiters?” Ichigo said, frowning, “Uryu, what if there’s an attack? You won’t be able to defend yourself!”

“I’m fine!” the quincy youth said irritably, brushing off his friend’s concern, “I had to make sure that you were okay and this was the nearest place.”

“You didn’t have to do this,” Ichigo objected worriedly, “If you thought that there would be problems, you should have let the soldiers bring me here and just gone home! You shouldn’t have risked coming here if you knew it would be uncomfortable for you.”

“I told you, it’s fine,” Uryu persisted, “I didn’t want to leave you after you…”

He broke off, his scowl deepening.

“Just be quiet and rest!” he snapped angrily, turning away and dipping the cloth in the water again.

Ichigo smiled and reached out to touch his friend’s shoulder, making Uryu wince and close his eyes.

“Hey,” he said more softly, “thanks for staying with me.”

Uryu gave a long, shuddering sigh.

“What are friends for?” he whispered, turning back and laying the dampened cloth on Ichigo’s forehead, “Now, shut up and rest.”

“Man,” Ichigo snickered, “you need to work on your bedside manner.”


	3. Cracks

Ichigo began to rise out of sleep, and as he did, his hazy mind registered the close presence of a slender, warm body pressing close to his and shivering softly. One handsome golden brown eye opened and slowly focused, coming to rest on the person beside him, the quincy youth who had continued to care for him constantly since the final battle of the shinigami and quincy war. A little sad smile touched Ichigo’s lips as he felt Uryu quiver again and heard the other young man’s very soft sounds of pain and distress.

_Who can blame him for having nightmares? So much has happened to Uryu. Ywach killed his mom too, and Uryu walked in on his dad while Ryuuken was cutting the silver clot out of his mother’s heart. He misunderstood, but couldn’t explain to his dad. It caused him years of pain and made him afraid to become a doctor._

_Uryu’s hands when he was helping with my healing…_

_Uryu is a natural healer. He told me that before he saw his father that time, and misunderstood things, he wanted more than anything to be a doctor, just like his dad. Yeah, Uryu used to look up to Ryuuken, and Ryuuken used to be a person who you should look up to. They both have a lot of healing to do before they can move on._

_We all do._

He opened his other eye and shifted slightly to get a better look at his sleeping companion. Ichigo’s heart ached at how Uryu’s clothes were still so torn and dirty, and how the splashes of blood on his skin hadn’t even been washed away.

_He said that he didn’t feel comfortable asking for healing from people that the quincies were trying to kill only a few days ago. I get it, but I don’t like seeing him suffer. Damn, I wanna get outta this bed and get him someone who will heal him. Orihime’s here, although she’s been so busy with people in danger of dying, she’s barely getting enough sleep. Tetsuya would help, I know, but he’s been with old Michio, handling the constant arrivals of new injured who keep coming in. The fourth division hasn’t arrived yet. They’re still out in the wreckage, finding people who desperately need their help. I would try healing Uryu myself, if I wasn’t such a mess._

_Maybe I should try just a little healing. I can’t do much, but maybe I can do a little. Uryu’s been there for me. I complain about his bedside manner, and he has been short-tempered, but who wouldn’t be, with so many injured people, who are only in that condition because of the hatred and wickedness of the quincies who followed Ywach?_

Ichigo carefully pulled free of Uryu’s collapsed and deeply sleeping form and he sat up slowly, carefully avoiding putting pressure on his recently healed wounds. He rested for a moment on his knees, breathing slowly and waiting as his heart quickened to the point where he began to see spots in front of his eyes, then more slowly, calmed into a more regular cadence.

_Ugh, I still feel pretty horrible._

He gave a wry smile as he leaned over his friend.

_At least I’m alive. At least my friends are alive. I’m glad we’re still here and we’re healing. It’s really sad to think that Old Man Yama is gone, that Komamura isn’t coming back, and that Unohana-san died too. Then, there were all of the soldiers. I could barely stand to hear when they said how many had died from each of the thirteen squads. In the end, the deaths amounted to over twenty-thousand, and they haven’t even finished. That number rises a little every day as they comb through the wreckage._

_I have to stop thinking about that._

_Not because I don’t care, but because we are still struggling._

He turned his attention back to the young man he knelt beside, reaching over to moisten a fresh washcloth, then moving to touch it to Uryu’s filthy and frowning face. Uryu gasped and came awake instantly, cringing away from him.

“Whoa, take it easy,” Ichigo said soothingly, “It’s just me.”

“Oh,” Uryu said, deflating, “sorry, Ichigo. It was just a dream.”

Ichigo smiled and started to reach over to continue washing his face, but the quincy youth turned aside and pushed his hand away.

“You shouldn’t be doing that. You should be resting,” he chided his friend.

“Well, so should you,” Ichigo countered, “and you should get yourself healed. You look really beat up. You should at least let me wash off the dirt and bandage your wounds.”

“It’s fine,” Uryu sighed, “I’ll be fine. I guess since you’re well enough to be up and around, I’ll go back home. I need to talk to my dad about things anyway. I’ve just been putting it off.”

Ichigo gave him a skeptical look.

“That’s not why you wanna leave,” he said with certainty.

“What do you mean?” Uryu asked, his frown deepening, “If you mean the fact that I’m surrounded by shinigamis that my own kind tried to kill, can you blame me for being uncomfortable here?”

“Uh-uh,” Ichigo said, crossing his arms, “That’s not it either.”

“Then, what…?”

Ichigo leaned forward suddenly, his warm, rough lips capturing his quincy friend’s in a fierce and passionate kiss. Uryu stiffened and his hands came up to push Ichigo away, but after a few tremulous moments, he gave a flustered exhale and sagged against his amorous friend. Ichigo ran his fingers through the long hairs that covered part of Uryu’s face. He caught his breath in surprise as the drawn back strands revealed that one of Uryu’s eyes had been blackened and his cheek on that side was cut and badly bruised.

“Uryu,” Ichigo managed in a choked voice, “What the hell happened? Your face wasn’t like that before. I mean, I was a little out of it, but I would have noticed. Who did this to you?”

“Who do you think?” Uryu whispered wearily, “Someone who lost family in the quincy war, and who wouldn’t believe me when I said I wasn’t going to harm anyone.”

Ichigo shook his head in disgust.

“Who was it?” he growled, “I’ll go and…”

“You don’t need to go anywhere,” Uryu insisted, pushing him back down onto his bed, “Kuchiki Nori stopped it, and he said that as soon as there is a healer available, he will send them here. So, stop it. Stop worrying.”

His fingertips rose and touched his still tingling lips.

“And don’t kiss me like that again.”

“Why not?” Ichigo asked, touching his arm gently, “I was being honest with you about how I feel about you. Are you saying that you don’t feel anything like that for me?”

Uryu paused for a moment, his eyes reflecting intense internal conflict. Ichigo leaned closer so that his warm, masculine scent radiated with his quincy friend, and he gazed into Uryu’s tortured blue eyes steadily.

“Your mouth says one thing when you talk to me, but it tells me something different when I kiss you. You can tell all of the lies you want, but I see the truth on your face, as clear as those cuts and bruises. There’s a reason we worked so well together in defeating Ywach.”

“No, Ichigo, we just had the same goal, that’s all.”

“Liar!” Ichigo laughed softly, taking Uryu by the upper arms and kissing him again, until Uryu collapsed against him and gave in, sinking deeply into the kisses and shaking softly.

“This is stupid,” he whispered into Ichigo’s shoulder, “I’m…”

“Shh, don’t say anymore,” Ichigo said, kissing his cheek, “And don’t talk about leaving. Stay here with me and when I’m well enough, we’ll go home together.”

“What if you have to move to the Seireitei?” Uryu asked, “You’re the Shiba heir.”

“Huh,” Ichigo huffed softly, “I’m who I’ve always been. I’m Kurosaki Ichigo.”

XXXXXXXXXX

Tetsuya woke to the sound of a metal utensil tapping against porcelain and he opened his eyes and found Juushiro sitting up against the pillows and devouring a plate of food. A little smile touched his lips and he sat up and stretched, noticing then the heaping plate that had been left for him.

“You made me sleep all night,” he observed, a hint of guilt in the words.

“You needed it,” Juushiro said unrepentantly, “Go on and eat. There are people who arrived early this morning, so Michio will need your help.”

He watched as Tetsuya lifted the heavy plate onto his lap and gazed quietly down at the food.

“Has the fourth division arrived?” Tetsuya asked, taking a large bite of the hot, savory offering.

“Not yet,” the white-haired taichou explained, “but they are on their way. It shouldn’t be much longer.”

“Mmmm,” Tetsuya sighed, relief filling his voice, “thank goodness.”

“You and the other healers have done a wonderful job, helping the ones who have been brought here.”

He started to say more, but a young man appeared suddenly in the doorway, carrying a wounded and unconscious child.

“Tetsuya-san, there was an attack at the Saito shelter!” the man exclaimed, “There are dozens of dead and injured. We hurried this boy here because he is critical. Michio-san is in surgery and there isn’t anyone else to help. Can you help him?”

Tetsuya nodded and slipped out of the bed.

“Lay him here, Eiji,” he directed the man holding the boy.

He waited as the boy was laid down, then he moved forward and sat down beside the bed. He leaned over the boy on one side as Juushiro set his food aside and turned onto his knees to help.

“What can I do?” Juushiro asked, “I don’t have much power right now, but I have enough reiatsu to help with his.”

“Give him an infusion,” Tetsuya directed him, “Just…keep the influx steady and not so much that it will deplete you. You are still recovering.”

Juushiro nodded briefly and began the infusion.

Tetsuya quickly examined the boy, his brow furrowing and a flicker of distress mounting inside as he read the extent of the boy’s injuries. He gave Juushiro a worried look.

“It’s pretty bad, isn’t it?” Juushiro said calmly.

“This is really beyond my skill,” Tetsuya confessed, “Is Orihime…?”

“I already tried,” Eiji said dejectedly, “She is with another critical case…a baby that was not breathing when we arrived. Please, Tetsuya-san, this boy is my cousin. Can you please try to save him?”

“Of course,” Tetsuya assured him, “I will do everything that I can.”

He read the deep bruising and scanned the area more closely.

“He has a broken arm and several broken ribs,” Tetsuya said softly.

“I can work a little on his arm,” Juushiro offered.

“Good,” Tetsuya said in a relieved tone, “I have to address his internal injuries and bleeding. Was he near an explosion?”

“Yes,” Eiji said, his head bowing sadly, “A band of quincy soldiers burst in through the barrier and attacked very suddenly, “My cousin, Arata, went down in the first blast. I grabbed him and ran. We couldn’t save his father or his mother.”

Tetsuya’s eyes closed for a moment and he took a steadying breath. He focused on the place where he sensed the bleeding and focused his power, flowing blue light from his hands and into the youth’s slightly enlarged abdomen. Sweat broke out on his forehead and his body quivered softly as he sensed the boy’s injuries were beginning to overcome him.

_I won’t let you die!_

Tetsuya felt a shimmer in the reiatsu that was flowing from his hands, then out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his zanpakuto, that had been set in a stand across the room, was glowing faintly.

_What? What is that glow?_

“Tetsuya-san,” Eiji said in a scared voice, “Tetsuya-san, Arata stopped breathing!”

Tetsuya stiffened, staring at the boy and feeling a dark sense of doom closing in.

_I have to do something!_

He felt a familiar flicker in his mind and heard the voice of the pixie spirit that lived in his weapon.

_Master…let me help you._

Tetsuya increased the flow of his reiatsu into the little boy’s body, wrapping his power around the broken bones and damaged tissues and willing furiously for them to mend.

_Master!_

“Tetsuya-san, please!” Eiji pleaded, staring in horror as his cousin’s breaths remained stilled.

 _What can we do?_ Tetsuya asked the spirit, _You are a fighting blade. We use waterforms for fighting._

There was a long moment of silence in his mind that clashed soundly with the agonized noise Eiji made as he fell onto his knees at his cousin’s bedside.

“Arata!”

 _Trust me, Master_ , the sword spirit urged him.

Tetsuya opened his mind to the spirit, offering himself to her.

_Re-kuhime, if you know a way to use our power to save this boy, then please do it! We can’t let him die!_

He felt the close presence of the spirit as she entered his body and took control.

_Trust me, my Master. I will save him, but…you cannot see._

Tetsuya felt a bright light envelop him and his mind went into a long, dizzying spin. He heard Juushiro and Eiji make sounds of surprise as power erupted in the room, but he sank down into unconsciousness as his zanpakuto took over. He wasn’t sure how long he laid in silence and darkness, and when he woke next, it was nighttime and the boy and his cousin were gone from the room. Tetsuya sat up and was immediately greeted with a fresh plate of food.

“Eat first, and then we’ll talk,” Juushiro said, an edge of hauntedness in his tone.

“Is Arata…all right?” Tetsuya asked in a wavering voice.

“He survived,” Juushiro said solemnly, “Whatever you did, it caused his injuries to heal, and he started breathing again.”

“Thank goodness,” Tetsuya sighed, digging into the food and eating heartily as his empty stomach nagged him incessantly, “I am sorry if my loss of consciousness worried you. I was just that determined to help Arata, even though I knew it was beyond my ability.”

“Hmm,” Juushiro said thoughtfully, watching Tetsuya closely, “I’ve been thinking about that. Can you tell me? Has your zanpakuto ever acted this way before?”

“No,” Tetsuya said around a bite of his food, “I told you, we are trained for fighting, not healing.”

The white-haired taichou looked back at him thoughtfully.

“What I saw and sensed had the feel of your power, and I sensed it was a shikai, but it was nothing like you described. You said you use waterforms in your shikai?”

“Yes,” Tetsuya confirmed.

He paused and frowned as Re-kuhime’s words returned to him.

_I will save him…but you cannot see._

“Are you all right, Tetsuya?” Juushiro asked, his brow furrowing.

“I am fine,” Tetsuya assured him, “I am just…still a little groggy. I will have to speak to Re-kuhime once things have calmed down. I agree that what happened was…unexpected. But it saved Arata.”

“It did do that,” Juushiro said approvingly.

The two looked up as Tetsuya’s attendant arrived in the doorway.

“Tetsuya-san!” Koji said excitedly, “The fourth division has arrived!”

XXXXXXXXXX

Toshiro felt flickers of returning pain, and they slowly grew into splintered shards under his skin. He groaned unhappily, trying to sit up, only to be gently laid back down by restraining hands.

“Do not try to move around,” Byakuya’s voice warned him, cutting through the gripping blackness around him.

“Where are we?” Toshiro croaked softly, “Is it still nighttime?”

Byakuya paused and an anguished look overtook his handsome face for a moment.

“You…sustained a head injury. It seems to have disrupted your vision,” the noble explained, “Rest quietly. I am sure that when we get back to the camp, my family’s healers can help you.”

_He doesn’t sound very sure._

_This is as close to scared as Byakuya gets, I think._

“H-how long have we been here?” the younger man asked.

Something warm touched his lips and he parted them to let in a spoonful of tea.

“You don’t have to feed me,” Toshiro chided him, “I can drink my tea in the dark.”

He could feel the noble flinch at the words and felt a heavy disturbance in the other man’s reiatsu.

“Byakuya, don’t worry. I’ll be fine. I’ve heard plenty about head wounds causing temporary blindness.”

_I hope that is all this is._

“But we should get back to the encampment.”

“There was another attack nearby just a short time ago,” Byakuya said in a low, anxious tone, “I do not think it is wise for us to move just yet. Are you hungry? There are rations.”

“Sure,” Toshiro answered.

_I feel almost too sick to eat. What if it isn’t temporary? What if…?_

He jumped as a packet was set in his hands and he nearly dropped it.

“Are you all right, Toshiro?” asked Byakuya.

“F-fine,” the younger man assured him, “I was just distracted for a moment.”

He set about eating his food, but could feel that Byakuya was watching him and that the noble’s thoughts were still heavy.

“I am sorry,” Byakuya said finally.

“Sorry for what?” Toshiro asked.

“We should have returned to the encampment as you said. You were injured because I made a poor decision.”

“You cared too much about Abarai to go back. I get it,” Toshiro said firmly.

“It was wrong.”

“No,” Toshiro insisted, “You were right about the situation when you asked me what I would do if it was Rangiku. I wouldn’t have gone back either. That’s why when you wanted to search more, I stayed with you. I made my own decision. You’re not to blame for what happened.”

“But I am,” Byakuya said in a still calm, but haunted tone, “And because I have caused you this injury, I promise you that I will see that you are healed.”

_He knows he can’t promise me that._

_We both know this could be permanent…_


	4. Chaos of Lies

Tetsuya sat cross-legged on the bed he shared with Juushiro, his sword balanced on its tip in front of him and glowing softly as he closed his blue eyes and focused inward. He sensed immediately the odd change in his inner world, and as he sank downward, he realized, to his surprise.

_Morning has come!_

_Mine is an ever-night world. The sun has never shined in this place, although that was not an ominous thing. I loved the night sky and the ever-present full moon that reigned over it. I always thought of it as Byakuya-sama watching over me. Yes, Byakuya-sama was the moon that watched over my inner world. I needed the darkness and the moon. I never wanted the sun to rise, or for things to change. But…change has come._

He stepped onto a carpet of cool, dewy grass, his bare feet sinking down, and the dampness seeping in between his toes. Turning slightly right, he headed for the lake at the center of his inner world, where he sensed that Re-kuhime waited. Already, he could feel her retreating.

_She has been hiding something from me…all of this time I have known her. From the beginning, when she stopped the prison guards’ attempts to drown me while I was an infant, she has held something back._

_Why?_

_Why would this spirit, whose good heart and strong power have guided me, have also held back something about my own abilities? Trust is a fragile thing, and the bond between a shinigami and his or her zanpakuto spirit depends on there being absolute trust. If that is not present, it is more difficult to engage body, mind and heart to access the shikai, much less the bankai. Still, even though she kept things from me, I did master my shikai and bankai. What, then, is it that Ukitake-sama sensed? He said that it had the feel of my reiatsu, but the power was not like my waterforms. And that power, Re-kuhime used was enough to bring the boy, Arata, back from death’s doorway._

_Why?_

_Why would she lie to me?_

_I have heard of shinigamis whose weapons do not fully trust or accept them. Some of them still develop their powers, but they usually do not reach bankai. Bankai is a completion usually only reached with the greatest dedication and complete trust. If Re-kuhime was lying to me all along, then how did I achieve bankai? She knew I was capable of great acts of healing! How could she…? How could we connect fully enough to release a bankai if my power was ever a lie? Was my dream of such worthiness so strong that it would not let me disappoint Byakuya-sama by falling short?_

_Why?_

He spotted Arashi ahead of him, standing at the water’s edge and wearing a guilty expression.

 _Arashi knows too?_ Tetsuya wondered, his heart sinking, _Am I alone in being too blind to notice?_

He reached the stallion and looked up at him quietly. Tetsuya waited for Arashi’s voice to sound in his mind, but registered only an awful silence.

“Arashi,” he whispered, reaching out to touch the horse’s face.

The stallion spooked and stepped back, his head bowing as though in shame. Tetsuya bit his lip gently, his heart aching with dread. He turned away from Arashi and faced the sunlit surface of the water.

“Re-kuhime,” he addressed the spirit hidden beneath the surface, “I need to speak to you.”

A breath of wind rippled the surface of the water, but the pixie spirit did not appear, and neither did her voice speak into his mind.

“Re-kuhime!” he called more sharply.

Arashi startled and pranced anxiously at the noise and the sharp disturbance in Tetsuya’s reiatsu as his blue eyes darkened and began to glare.

“Do you really think that you can hide from me?” he demanded, “This place, this world, this heart that beats is _mine_! You are the spirit that has protected and guided me all of my life. I gave you everything…the use of my body, the dedication of my mind and the love of my heart. Together, we grew strong, so strong that we achieved bankai. I could not have done these things without you, and for that, I will always be grateful. But…I know now that you have lied to me. I will assume that you thought it was in my best interests. I am giving you the benefit of the doubt, but you need to tell me why. Why did you do this? Why did you lie to me?”

He waited silently, but the only sound came from the wind that had begun to whip around him, lifting the loose ends of his yukata and ruffling the tumbled waves of his hair. His fingers curled and his hands clenched into fists as he realized it was unlikely the spirit would answer him.

“You can’t do this!” he snapped angrily, “After I have been so open with you, so trusting of you…how can you keep something like this a secret from me! Answer me now!”

He waited long enough to know not to expect an answer, then he started forward, surging into the shallow water of the lake and willing the water to shear away to make a path for him. To his surprise, the water did not respond to his will. He frowned and continued forward, ranging deeper into the lake, until it began to swirl around his shoulders and he sank down beneath the surface. He took a cautious breath and felt a shock go through him as he realized.

_I can’t breathe!_

He turned back, crawling onto the shore on hands and knees, coughing out the water. Bells rang in his ears and he felt the environs around him shift. Suddenly, he found himself on his knees on his bed and held tightly against Juushiro’s bracing form as he coughed and gasped, trying to breathe. The other man stiffened as water erupted from Tetsuya’s open mouth and splashed down on the bed.

“Tetsuya, what’s happening to you?” the white-haired taichou exclaimed worriedly, “Shall I call for help?”

Tetsuya coughed again, then shook his head firmly, holding tightly to Juushiro’s strong arms and working to catch his breath.

“I…I’ll be all right,” he panted, blinking to clear the spots from in front of his eyes.

Juushiro held him firmly, nodding briefly in acceptance. He remained silent, letting Tetsuya recover before releasing him and watching through eyes that radiated genuine concern. He followed Tetsuya’s eyes to the unsheathed blade that had fallen onto its side on the bed. Tetsuya sighed and closed his eyes in resignation.

“What happened when you tried to connect with Re-kuhime?” the white-haired taichou asked warily.

Tetsuya took a few more panting breaths, then gave a long, shuddering exhale.

“She wouldn’t come to me,” he said in a lost tone, “She wouldn’t speak to me at all. I tried parting the waters of the lake, but the water didn’t respond to my will. And when I tried to enter the water, I could not use my natural ability to breathe underneath.”

Juushiro’s brow furrowed thoughtfully.

“That’s very strange,” he agreed, “Even if your reiatsu or amplified power was affected, a natural ability like that should remain with you.”

“I don’t know if this is something that she did or something that just happened because of our falling out,” Tetsuya mused, looking down at his opened hands, “I do feel a disturbance in my reiatsu.”

He paused, focusing intently for a moment, then he looked up at Juushiro’s concerned face in dismay.

“What is it?” Juushiro asked quickly.

“I can’t flow reiatsu,” Tetsuya confessed in a shocked tone, “I feel that my reiatsu is there and hasn’t diminished, but I can’t seem to connect with it to make anything happen!”

He stared at his hands, wide-eyed, his heart pounding.

“What is this?” he whispered, his voice shaking, “What is happening to me?”

“I think we should see if Urahara Kisuke is available,” Juushiro suggested, brushing several strands of white hair out of his eyes, “The healers are pretty tied up, but he is talented in figuring more perplexing things. What do you think, Tetsuya?”

“I’m so frightened, I don’t know what to think,” the younger man confessed, swallowing hard, “I don’t understand why this is happening!”

“Listen to me,” Juushiro said bracingly, taking Tetsuya’s cold hands in his and warming them gently, “You are going to be fine. I have a feeling that there is someone else who may be involved in what is happening to you.”

“What do you mean? Are you saying that maybe I was attacked somehow?”

Juushiro hesitated, looking into Tetsuya’s eyes intently.

“I’m going to ask you to trust me while I investigate this,” he said finally, “I want to be sure that I’m reading the situation correctly before I say anymore. Will you trust me, Tetsuya?”

Tetsuya took a steadying breath, meeting the elder man’s eyes uncertainly.

“Well, you’ve never given me any reason to mistrust you, and Byakuya-sama has warned me that sometimes we can be so close to a problem that we can’t see the answer when it’s right in front of us. If you really think that you may be onto something, I will trust you.”

One of Juushiro’s pale hands left Tetsuya’s and rose to cup the younger man’s cheek tenderly. A little blush rose instantly on Tetsuya’s comely face and soft, white throat.

“I will try not to disappoint you,” the white-haired man promised.

The two men found themselves suddenly stricken silent as a little twinge went through each and they felt warm flickers that left them both dry mouthed and with skipping heartbeats. Juushiro laughed softly and released Tetsuya’s hands, nodding briefly as he slipped out of the bed.

“Where are you going?” Tetsuya asked curiously, “Is this about…?”

“I am going to speak to Urahara Kisuke,” Juushiro explained, “Despite the fact that Squad Four has arrived, we may need your healing powers again soon, so we want to do our best to get them functioning again.”

“But are you sure you should be up so soon after…?”

“I am fine,” Juushiro laughed, “I feel better than I have in years, Tetsuya!”

XXXXXXXXXX

Renji woke to the sounds of an achingly familiar male whimpering softly in the blackness. Hard shivers went through his body as he tried to move and found that he had been laid on his belly and bound tightly in place, a blindfold placed over his eyes.

“R-rikichi…” he managed in a whisper.

“I told you,” Rikichi sobbed softly to someone Renji sensed was standing over him and striking him repeatedly, “I only found Abarai fukutaichou! I don’t know where…”

Rikichi broke off as something snapped loudly, then he gave a muted exclamation of pain.

“ _Tell me_ where Kurosaki Ichigo is!” their captor demanded, “He should have been near Abarai! They were fighting together.”

“I d-don’t know where he is!” Rikichi gasped, “I don’t know!”

“He doesn’t fucking know anything!” Renji snarled, “Stop hitting him, you son of a bitch! Why don’t you pick on someone a little bigger?”

Renji flinched as he heard some kind of heavy impact, then Rikichi grunted in pain and went quiet. Footsteps sounded and Renji felt the touch of a leather crop under his chin.

“You want to give me some answers?” a rough male voice demanded.

“I’ll talk to you,” Renji offered, “Just…let the kid go. He wasn’t even supposed to be out there…”

“I couldn’t leave you out there, Renji!” Rikichi objected.

The whip snapped and Rikichi yelped.

“Shut up, you little rodent, or I’ll cut out your tongue!” their captor threatened.

“Hey, take it easy. You’ve scared him, all right? You made your point. You want to know where Ichigo is.”

“And you’re going to tell me?” the man asked, sliding the crop down his back.

“I don’t think you’ll like the answer, but it’s an honest one,” Renji said calmly, “Look, Ichigo’s the hero of Soul Society. Our people would look for him first and anyone else later.”

A little shiver passed through the redhead at the silence that followed his answer, then a few more footsteps sounded and the man’s voice spoke more directly into his ear.

“The hero of Soul Society, eh?” he said mockingly, “That’s funny, you know.”

Renji’s lips stiffened, but he held his silence.

“The irony,” his captor went on, “of the shinigamis holding the life of a quincy noble son higher than that of their own people!”

 _Ichigo is a quincy_?

Renji felt a heavy in ward jolt and his mouth opened, wanting to scoff at the accusation. But in his mind, flash images of his friend’s different powers, of the little things that didn’t make sense about him, began to fall into place. As the redhead’s silence continued, he turned the images over in his mind and very slowly felt his uncertainty leave him. When his voice sounded again, it was dead calm and unshaken.

“Ichigo is my friend and Soul Society’s savior. None of us who are his friends and comrades are gonna give a damn if he’s a cat in a dog suit. He’s a good person who does good things. He’s not a monster like the one you followed, who pretends to be with you, then makes you his food!”

There was a moment of silence and Renji felt the flare of fury that erupted from his quincy captor’s body and expressed itself in stirkes with the heavy whip and bursts of power that struck so hard they burst his bonds and sent him flying off the cot he laid on, to crash into the nearby stone wall with crushing force. He gritted his teeth as his head swam and Rikichi’s broken sobs echoed dully in his mind.

_Guess the truth hurts, doesn’t it?_

_I wonder if he’s telling the truth. Ichigo, a quincy? If he is, he didn’t know it all along. He had powers like ours. He protected Rukia, then all of us. It may be that he’s all or part quincy, but none of that has ever mattered to him, and it doesn’t matter to me either._

_God, I hope I get to tell him that!_

He wasn’t sure how long his body was flung about and subjected to his captor’s hissed threats and stinging abuse. His mind sank slowly into a fog, and he only emerged for a moment at the end, when he realized that his abuser was gone and Rikichi was holding him protectively and whispering in a shaky voice for him to say something. Renji forced a smile as the younger soldier began to address his wounds.

“It’s gonna be okay. We’ll get outta here, all right? Just be quiet and patch me up as best you can.”

“I will,” Rikichi promised.

Renji flinched and quivered in reaction as his comrade addressed a large gash on his forehead.

“You did all right,” he managed shakily, “He beat you up pretty good, didn’t he?”

“I’m okay,” Rikichi said wearily, “He could tell I’m just a weakling and not anyone important. I think he was just going to kill me before he realized…”

Renji’s breath caught for a moment.

“Realized what?” he asked.

For a moment, Rikichi remained silent, his gentle hands working to relieve the redhead’s pain, then he sighed and closed his eyes.

“Unlike them, we’ve been taught to care what happens to our comrades,” he said quietly, “He could see you were protecting me, and it confused him. I think that’s why he got so mad. I was just confused. Why would you do that? You should be protecting your own life. At least you can be of some use.”

Renji gave the younger man a stern look.

“What the hell are you talking about?” he scolded Rikichi, “cause I know that just in the time since this war started, you got your damned shikai under control. I saw you using it before we were grabbed.”

“It didn’t do much good,” Rikichi said ruefully, “We still got captured.”

Renji shrugged, then winced and grunted.

“We’re still alive,” he chuckled, “And when we get outta this and after Rukia and I are married? I’m gonna train your ass until you reach bankai.”

Rikichi’s large brown eyes rounded and he froze, the healing power around his hands fading.

“You…?” he began.

“Hey!” Renji snapped, scowling, “You wanna pay attention to what you’re doing, pipsqueak? You’re supposed to be healing me, not staring at me like I’m from outer space.”

“S-sorry, Abarai fukutaichou!” Rikichi said hastily.

“That’s better.”

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya noted the time and peered out of the small cave that had been his and Toshiro’s shelter for the night. Toshiro knelt at his side, one hand resting on his comrade’s arm.

“We should go,” Byakuya suggested, “Just remember what I taught you last night. Moving in darkness…”

“Doesn’t have to be different from moving in daylight, if one uses kido to illuminate the area around him,” Toshiro remembered.

He shook his head in wonder as his extended his senses and felt the little presences…Byakuya’s crouched form, the edges of the cave entrance, and the trees and brush outside.

“Everything in Soul Society is made up of spirit particles,” Byakuya said solemnly, moving slowly out of the cave as Toshiro maintained a hold on his arm and moved with him, “The dense forms that those particles take on to become you, me, the trees, the rocks, the bushes…all of them can be sensed if you focus carefully.”

“How did you learn to do this?” the white-haired taichou asked curiously, “To move around in the dark?”

Byakuya was grateful for the fact that the younger man couldn’t see the pain of guilt that radiated on his face at the sight of his still-blind comrade.

“My father and I used to go out at night to watch the stars and moon move across the sky,” he explained as he guided Toshiro out of the cave and onto a nearby path, “The trails we used were unlit, so we trained on not needing our eyes to follow them.”

“It’s a useful skill,” Toshiro noted, “I really do feel the presences.”

His foot struck a small rock and he started to trip, only to feel Byakuya put an arm around him to steady him.

“I guess I need more practice,” Toshiro chuckled, blushing.

“You are doing extremely well for just learning the technique,” Byakuya assured him, “But, you have always been talented.”

“Th-thanks,” Toshiro said, the flush on his cheeks darkening slightly.

Byakuya stole furtive glances at the younger man as they worked their way back towards the Kuchiki encampment.

_I wonder what the healers will be able to do for Toshiro. He is handling his blindness well, but…they simply must heal him!_

Toshiro sensed that Byakuya had slowed for a moment and was looking back over his shoulder in the direction Renji had been taken.

“Kuchiki,” he said quietly, “you know, you could let me go back alone. I can use what you’ve taught me to get back on my own. I can sense danger and hide if…”

“Nonsense,” Byakuya chided him, “I am not leaving you alone in this state.”

_Especially when I am the reason you are like this._

“I will take you to my family’s encampment, as we discussed.”

“But Renji is…”

“Renji is a valuable officer, who they will keep alive for a time,” Byakuya said firmly, “I will take you back and I will enlist the help of some people with relevant experience to help me extract Renji, and any other prisoners we find.”

“I want to help.”

Byakuya knew exactly what he should say, but for some reason, couldn’t make himself speak.

_I should tell him that he’s in no condition to help anyone, and that he would only be a liability. But…somehow, I cannot see him that way. Some part of me knows that Toshiro would find a way to be invaluable, even if he cannot see._

Byakuya felt a twinge in his belly as Toshiro’s hand tightened on his arm for a moment.

_Toshiro is a rare talent…and a good friend._

“If you want to help, then let’s hurry back to the encampment and get you healed,” he said quietly, “You’ll want to be in top form when we plan Renji’s rescue.”

_I don’t know if they will be able to heal you, but…I do know how strong your will is and how hard you will fight._

_The war has taught me that._


	5. The Torrent

Kisuke looked up from the resource book he was reading as Juushiro entered the shopkeeper’s makeshift laboratory that had been constructed for him within the hidden Kuchiki family compound. The shopkeeper’s pale grey eyes observed the thirteenth division taichou’s healthy looking color and he noted Juushiro’s stronger, firmer step. He shook his head, smiling in appreciation.

“So, what I heard from Ol’ Michio is true,” he mused, “You’re looking great, though, I have to say I was surprised to hear that Tetsuya-san was able to do this.”

“I was shocked too,” the white-haired taichou admitted, reaching up to brush several stray hairs away from his eyes, “Tetsuya, himself, isn’t sure how he was able to accomplish it. He allowed Michio to examine him, and he and I have talked a lot about his powers, but I’m still at a loss for an explanation.”

“It is quite the mystery,” Kisuke mused, “I was hoping, now that the fourth is here taking care of the wounded, I would have some time to look Tetsuya-san over and see if there’s anything I can find that explains this. I’ll need to see what’s happening when he uses his power. I’ll especially want to see what happens while he’s healing you.”

“Hmm,” Juushiro said, frowning, “that’s going to be a problem. Unfortunately, something odd seems to have happened between Tetsuya and his zanpakutou this morning, and not only has it resulted in him being unable to use his zanpakutou powers, his natural ability to breathe under water has also been affected.”

Kisuke frowned and arched an eyebrow at the news.

“Is that so? Sounds like I need to have a talk with him right away,” the shopkeeper said, starting for the doorway, “A lot of people are still depending on Tetsuya to protect them,”

He paused, giving Juushiro a curious look as the thirteenth division taichou’s hand touched his arm in a staying gesture.

“Before you do, I wanted to make a suggestion.”

“Okay, you’ve got an idea what could be behind this? Shoot,” Kisuke invited him.

Juushiro nodded.

“I don’t know how helpful it will be. After all, what I’m going to tell you is just about a story that my mother used to tell me. It may be unrelated, but in case it’s not, I think you should hear it.”

“Hey, sometimes the answers are in odd places, so go on.”

Juushiro smiled.

“Sometimes,” he agreed, “In any case, you remember that I explained to you about how I was so ill when I was a child, and my parents took me to Mimihagi-sama’s shrine in the Rukongai and made the agreement that kept me from dying?”

“Uh-huh,” Kisuke affirmed, “You said that the agreement was that your body would be strengthened and you would live, but that when the time came, the god would claim your lungs.”

“Exactly,” Juushiro affirmed, “And when I called on Mimihagi-sama during the quincy war, I understood that doing so would offer more strength to our side, but that in exchange, my lungs would fail and I would die. Given our situation, it was the only decision that seemed right. Even my power as a taichou wasn’t enough, considering what we needed to do to win. I was all right with exchanging my life for a chance to protect the king and save lives.”

Kisuke considered carefully for a moment, studying Ukitake’s fully restored form.

“You made the exchange and you started to die,” Kisuke said, “That much, I remember.”

“When you left to go to the royal realm, I was at death’s doorway. I had attendants making me comfortable, but there is no doubt that I was going to pass soon. I don’t know what happened exactly. I only became aware afterward that Ywach had brought the fight back here to Soul Society and it seemed that in the fighting, my attendants had been knocked out. I felt my life passing, and it was at that moment that I experienced Tetsuya’s healing touch. And the moment I felt it was the moment that I thought back to the story my mother told me…one about a legendary healer…one who could heal anyone. I remember she said that every time he passed from life, he returned, and he always came back to heal a soul about to be lost. I think my mother was trying to give me hope, but what I don’t know is if this story has any merit or if maybe she was just telling me the story to bolster me. Have you ever heard of this myth?”

“Not off the top of my head. No,” the shopkeeper answered, his frown deepening, “But that doesn’t mean your mom just made it up to soothe you, necessarily. It could be a local myth, one she heard in the region where you lived, or somewhere she lived or traveled through when she was younger.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” Juushiro concurred, reaching up to rub his chin thoughtfully, “I thought maybe I should ask Byakuya if the archives might contain old regional myths. It’s a longshot, I’m sure.”

“But the Kuchiki archive is the largest history of our worlds outside the royal realm,” Kisuke reasoned, “If there’s anywhere that might have that information, it’s the Kuchiki archive.”

“I think so too,” Juushiro agreed, “Unfortunately, Byakuya hasn’t returned to the encampment yet. A report came in that he and Hitsugaya taichou were searching for Abarai Renji, but we have received no additional information since then.”

“I have permission to enter the family archive,” Kisuke said, biting his lip gently, “but the area around Kuchiki Manor hasn’t been cleared, so I’ll need time to prepare for the trip there. Tetsuya also carries permission to enter the archive, as well as the ability to grant entrance while Byakuya is not present. I think it would be good for the two of you to be with me when I go there.”

He thought carefully for a moment, then gave Juushiro a questioning look.

“Have you had a chance to connect with your zanpakutou since Tetsuya healed you?” he asked, “I know your reiatsu reads normal and you’re fully healed. How are your powers functioning?”

Juushiro smiled contentedly.

“I was warned to begin slowly, but I have connected with Sogyo no Kotowari and we have trained at shikai strength. It will take longer for my bankai to return, but…”

“But, for a guy who just almost died, having your shikai back so quickly tells me I need to examine both you and Tetsuya in much more detail. Before I do that, how about you give me a little demonstration of where you are kido and powerwise?”

Juushiro’s smile warmed and he laid a palm on his weapon.

“It would be our pleasure.”

XXXXXXXXXX

“Abarai fukutaichou,” Rikichi whispered in an urgent voice, touching his superior’s arm to wake him, “Renji, wake up!”

Renji jumped awake, wincing at the residual pain that shocked his recently healed body. Spotting the fearful look on the younger man’s face, he came to his feet too quickly, then paused as his head spun for a moment.

“S-sorry,” Rikichi apologized in a shaky voice, “but I thought you should know. You told me to listen in to the guards talking, and they said…”

He broke off, shivering and closing his eyes for a moment.

“What?” Renji asked in a low, angry voice, “What did you hear?”

Rikichi took a steadying breath.

“They’re going to take you to the palace, Renji!” he managed, “And the officer said that they should just…j-just…”

Rikichi paused again, closing his eyes tightly before forcing his next words out.

“H-he told them to have their fun with me, then cut me up and leave the pieces somewhere in Soul Society!”

The younger man made a choking sound and dropped onto his knees, going pale. Renji’s red-brown eyes glinted ominously and he grabbed Rikichi by the arm and dragged him to his feet, shocking the younger man into silence. Rikichi shook madly under his grip, but forced his eyes to Renji’s, surprised as he felt strength seep back into his trembling body.

“You listen to me,” Renji hissed in a commanding tone, “No one’s gonna lay a hand on you.”

“But…!”

“Shh! You listen to me and you do exactly what I tell you to do. Understand?”

“Y-yes, sir,” Rikichi gulped, biting at his lips nervously.

Renji turned his head slightly, peeking out where the nearest guard sat at a table, playing a solitary card game.

“Now that I’ve recovered a little, I can pick the lock on this and get us out of this damned cage,” he whispered, sliding a hand between the bars of their cell.

“B-but there’s nothing to pick it with!” Rikichi complained, “They took everything we…”

“Trust me,” Renji said, smirking as he positioned a fingertip in front of the locking mechanism, “Growing up where I did, we had to be able to break ourselves outta the town jail pretty often.”

He paused and shook his head ruefully.

“Although, I was never able to be very quiet about it, cause half the time the kido I used on the lock would blow up in my face.”

He frowned and looked more closely at Rikichi.

“We need to be really quiet,” he mused, thinking.

His brow furrowed and he glanced at the guard again.

“Hey, give me your hand,” he directed the younger man.

“What?” Rikichi said uncertainly.

“Give me your hand!” Renji hissed, “Now!”

“O-okay,” Rikichi answered, extending a hand.

He made a small yelp of surprise and dismay as Renji pointed his fingertip at the keyhole on the outside of the cell.

“Renji, wh-what…?”

“Shh! Listen, my kido’s pretty strong for a job like this that needs more finesse. You’re pretty good using kido. You can do this, soldier!”

“Ah…b-but…” Rikichi stammered, staring wide-eyed at the card playing guard, “My powers are sealed!”

“Doesn’t matter,” Renji said with certainty, “The seal just keeps your reiatsu close to your body, and they were kinda careless with it. It’s a shitty seal. This kido will be performed close to you. It’ll work.”

“But…”

“Focus!” Renji chided him, tightening his hold on the younger man’s wrist, “Leak a little reiatsu into the keyhole. Feel with your senses to shape it. Let it harden, then break it fast!”

“Wh…”

“No more talking, soldier!” Renji commanded him, “Just do it!”

Rikichi swallowed hard, his hand shaking as he complied.

“Easy,” Renji soothed him, his voice gentling, “I’ve seen your kido ability. You’re good. You can do this.”

Rikichi nodded and sucked in a steadying breath. He closed his eyes, letting his senses trace the hidden interior of the keyhole, then shaping the kido carefully before breathing a soft command. The two stiffened as the kido in the lock flickered for a moment, then a soft click sounded. The two men held their breath, watching the guard carefully, exhaling in relief as he continued to focus on the cards in front of him.

“Good job,” Renji huffed, ruffling Rikichi’s hair teasingly, “Remind me to have you teach that to our other officers when we get home, okay?”

“Okay,” Rikichi laughed softly, wiping the sweat from his face, “So, what do we do now? As soon as we open the door, he’ll hear the creaking. He’ll see.”

“He’s not going to be seeing anything, cause we’re gonna knock that bastard out cold.”

“Huh?” the younger man muttered, giving Renji a confused look, “How…?”

Renji smiled encouragingly.

“Get on your hands and knees in front of the door,” he instructed the younger man.

“Okay,” Rikichi answered, moving into position.

“Stay there and I want you to swell your reiatsu under the seal. I’m gonna share a little power with you to make it look dangerous.”

“ _Make it look dangerous_?” Rikichi squawked, gasping as Renji clapped a hand over his face and glanced at the guard.

“Hey! Be quiet, or that asshole’s gonna know something’s up,” Renji scolded him, “Do what I told you. Swell your reiatsu under the seal.”

Rikichi gulped audibly and shut his eyes tightly, lighting his reiatsu and letting it flare under the seal that held his power back. Almost immediately, the guard looked up at them.

“HEY!” Renji yelled, “His reiatsu is going crazy! Get me outta here! The kid’s gonna self destruct!”

He laid a hand on Rikichi’s back for a moment, making the reiatsu swell ominously. Rikichi flinched and groaned.

“I don’t know if I can…”

“Hold it together!” Renji warned him, “When he gets to the door and looks down at the key, shove the door open! And shield yourself, because I’m gonna break the seal on my power.”

“You can do that?” Rikichi gapsed, despite himself.

Renji scowled.

“As many times as Taichou has teased me about being terrible at kido? Having it blow up in my face? I can blow it up on purpose and break the seal.”

“But, Renji…!”

“Get ready!”

Rikichi gave him a terrified look as the guard approached and more footsteps sounded in the distance, but nodded in affirmation.

“We’re gonna get outta here,” Renji breathed as the guard closed in, “Trust me.”

“I trust you,” Rikichi whispered back, his voice calming.

“Good,” Renji replied, bowing his head and gathering his power, “Let’s do this!”

The guard reached the gate and reached for the door, then his eyes rounded as Rikichi surged to his feet and shoved the cell door, crashing it into the man and sending him crashing to the floor. The guard room filled quickly with the sound of approaching guards as Rikichi ducked out of the way and shielded himself.

“Bring it on, you sons of bitches!” Renji snarled, glaring into the eyes of the approaching quincies.

His reiatsu glowed red under the seal, swelling and shaking the cell as the guards reached them.

“Renji!” Rikichi howled, holding his hands protectively over his face.

The breath left his body as red light and burning heat roared around him, blinding him for a moment, then sending him tumbling into the rock wall. When he was able to see again, he stumbled to his feet. He took a step forward, then felt his breath escape him all over again as he spotted Renji’s battered and still glowing form towering over the collapsed guards. The redhead turned and his haunting red eyes fixed on the younger soldier.

“C’mon,” he growled, “let’s go home.”

Rikichi moved in close to him as he swiftly searched a fallen guard and stole a sun gate key.

“Renji, can you tell me something?” he asked warily.

“Yeah?” the redhead answered, turning him towards a broken piece of wall that let in the light from outside the holding facility.

“How did you know I could open the lock like that? How did you know we could shield well enough to not be knocked out when your kido exploded?”

Renji gave him a charming smirk.

“I didn’t,” he snickered, patting Rikichi on the shoulder, “but dying while trying to escape is better than what would’ve happened if we hadn’t tried, right?”

Rikichi froze for a moment, staring, wide-eyed at the laughing redhead.

“You…?”

“Move it,” Renji chuckled, “Let’s get outta here before reinforcements get here.”

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya walked alongside Toshiro, fighting an instinct to wrap a supportive arm around his comrade as the white-haired taichou sensed the area ahead of him and fired a kido blast at a rock just off the path ahead of them. The blast struck off center, blowing the right half of the rock apart and leaving broken pieces scattered on the left.

“I still don’t have it quite right,” the young man complained, “I know where the rock is, I just…”

“Retraining your reiatsu to help you see without eyes is a skill not every shinigami can master,” Byakuya insisted, “That you are capable enough to do this is commendable.”

He paused, looking down at the pieces of broken rock.

“I am just sorry that you need to learn a skill like this.”

Toshiro scowled.

“Stop that,” he said shortly, “Don’t feel sorry for me and don’t feel bad that I got hurt doing something I wanted to do. You didn’t force me to stay with you to look for Abarai. I wanted to stay and help you. I’m not sorry I did.”

He paused, his senses tracing their way around the worried expression his comrade wore.

“I can see the look you’re giving me,” he said somberly, “Kuchiki, it isn’t your fault.”

“I let myself be distracted by…”

“By the fact that someone you care about could be in real danger,” Toshiro provided.

“I should have insisted that you…”

“And you think your insistence would have made a difference?” the white-haired man chided him, “I made my own decision. And if I hadn’t been there, you…”

He halted his words hastily, sensing the line he was crossing and flushing slightly.

“I would not leave a comrade in that situation, and you wouldn’t either,” he finished awkwardly, “Byakuya, you have stop…”

A rumble went through the ground beneath their feet and Byakuya’s hands grabbed Toshiro’s shoulders, steadying him.

“What the hell…?” Toshiro gasped.

Byakuya’s eyes widened as the air in front of them seemed to swirl with tendrils of mingled black and grey, then two dark forms began to emerge. He forced the younger taichou behind him and raised his reiatsu warningly.

“Quincies!” he hissed, drawing his blade.

He made a sound of surprise as the sound of a second blade being drawn reached his ears.

“You don’t have enough experience sensing with your reiatsu to use that method for fighting!” Byakuya objected instantly.

He blinked in confusion and dismay as Toshiro’s flash step sounded and he disappeared.

“What…?”

Byakuya flash stepped furiously after him as the two emerging forms cleared slightly, revealing Renji’s tall, battered form billowing smoke around him as he guided Rikichi out of the shadows and closed the door behind them.

“Toshiro!” Byakuya shouted, firing himself at the younger taichou and stopping his blade inches from Renji’s torn breast.

“Whoa! Hitsugaya taichou, don’t kill us! We’re comrades!” Rikichi yelped.

“Eh, s-sorry,” Toshiro apologized, lowering his weapon and sliding it back into its sheath.

Renji frowned.

“Is something wrong with you, Hitsugaya taichou?” he asked in a concerned voice, “You…”

“We will explain later,” Byakuya said shortly, “We need to get the two of you back to our encampment!”

“Are you and Rikichi all right?” Toshiro asked, “Do you need immediate healing?”

“We’re okay,” Renji assured him, “just a little beat up, mostly from the kido I had to use to break us out of there.”

He gave Byakuya a smug look.

“I broke a high level seal,” he announced proudly, “My first.”

Rikichi’s eyes rounded.

“I thought you called it a shitty seal!” he objected.

Renji grinned and shrugged.

“Had to convince myself I could do it,” he chuckled.

Byakuya gave him a look of mingled approval and relief.

“Rukia will be pleased you have returned safely.”

Byakuya paused, smirking very slightly at the way the redhead deflated barely visibly.

“I am glad you are safe as well,” he added, making the redhead smile.

The ground around them rumbled warningly and several dark swells rose up in the distance.

“I guess they’re a little pissed that I destroyed their prison,” Renji snickered.

“Perhaps it would be best if we return to the camp immediately,” Byakuya said, glancing at Rikichi, “Yuki Rikichi, I have word from the thirteenth division that your brother Ryuunosuke is safe. He will be relieved that you have come home safely also.”

“Th-thank you sir.”

“Taichou,” Renji said as the group flash stepped away, “you should know that Rikichi performed a high level kido lock release and demonstrated officer level shielding when my kido exploded. I also observed him using his shikai to overcome a large number of soldats in battle.”

Rikichi blushed.

“I just…fought like everyone else,” he stammered softly, “I didn’t do anything really.”

Byakuya turned his head slightly to look into the younger man’s eyes.

“You fought on the level of an officer,” he said solemnly, “When we reach the camp and your wounds have been fully healed, I will test you for an officer’s ranking.”

Rikichi’s feet stopped moving for a moment, until Renji’s hand yanked him back into motion.

“Baka! Don’t freeze up here!” Renji scolded him, “Get moving!”

The two flash stepped after Byakuya and Toshiro as a large number of quincies appeared in the field they had just vacated. One white clad officer moved closer to the one who led them.

“Did they find the tracking device?” he asked curiously.

His commanding officer smiled.

“Of course not. By nightfall, we will deal the Kuchiki clan the devastating end it deserves!”


	6. Selfblind

Ichigo heard a soft tapping that nudged him awake, and he turned slightly to look at the clock by the bed he occupied. He frowned and peered over at Uryu’s bed, where his friend sat, gazing at a laptop screen and listening intently, using a set of earbuds to avoid disturbing him.

“What are you doing?” he asked, sliding out of his bed and moving to join Uryu on the quincy youth’s bed.

Uryu gave him a sideways glance, then removed one of the earbuds and handed it to him.

“You should be resting,” he chided Ichigo, “You were pretty beat up before.”

“So were you,” Ichigo huffed, earning a look of annoyance from his friend.

“Being hit a few times by an angry guy isn’t anything like taking hits from an angry god,” he said shortly.

Ichigo shook his head, letting out a puff of breath.

I guess you got me there,” he chuckled, “But what are you doing?”

“I’m listening in,” Uryu explained, “You don’t think that when I was part of the Vandenreich I was just there as a decoration. I made sure that I placed bugs within Ywach’s palace. I wanted to make sure that I would know how things were, so that if anything went wrong there, I could do something about it.”

Ichigo gave him a curious look, then smiled warmly.

“Even though you don’t want to be their king…” he began.

“I don’t want things to go wrong again,” Uryu admitted, “It’s true that Ywach was a horrible person, but unlike my dad, I don’t think that makes all quincies horrible people. Most of the quincies who live in the shadows are peaceful people, who just want to live in safety, like you and me.”

Ichigo nodded.

“I get it. You want to kinda watch over them, even though you don’t want to lead them.”

Uryu blushed.

“I don’t think for a minute that I could solve all of their problems. There are better leaders who can do that. I just want to be able to do what I can without trying to do everything. You know what I mean?”

Uryu caught his breath in surprise and his blush intensified as Ichigo’s hand slid into his.

“Yeah, I do,” Ichigo assured him, “You like to hide it, but you have a big heart. You really care about what happens to them.”

Uryu bit his lip gently and nodded in affirmation.

“I know my dad wrote them off, and I even understand his reasons. I just can’t be that way when I’ve felt the pride that my grandfather had about being a quincy. He wasn’t unhappy with who he was, and when my powers began to form, I felt that same pride.”

“You _should_ take pride in who you are,” Ichigo agreed.

“I know that the quincies are a fallen people. The leaders of the past made mistakes that hurt everyone. The biggest mistake was letting Ywach gain control. He never cared about the quincies. He only cared how they would help him achieve his goals. He used all of us and then just took our power back and heartlessly watched us die in front of him.”

“Yeah,” Ichigo agreed, “but luckily, he couldn’t take your powers and he couldn’t kill you.”

“I still don’t know why,” Uryu confessed softly, “There’s no clear reason why.”

Ichigo smiled.

“I think I know.”

The dark-haired quincy gave him a skeptical look.

“You think you know why, when nobody who actually knows about quincies has a clue?” he scoffed in an unusually affectionate manner, “That sounds like you. Always thinking you’ve got everything figured out.”

“I have this figured out,” Ichigo said, leaning forward to kiss him, “When you see something broken, you wanna heal it. Uryu, that’s why I love you.”

“Stop it!” Uryu complained, trying to push him away, “Ichigo…!”

Ichigo returned the skeptical look his friend had given him earlier.

“You really don’t like it when I kiss you?” the ginger-haired youth asked, “Are you sure about that?”

Uryu paused, gazing into Ichigo’s warm, golden brown eyes and thinking quietly for a moment. Then he freed his hands and placed him on his friend’s face, making Ichigo smile meltingly.

“I didn’t say I didn’t like it,” he answered finally, “But I’m trying to concentrate and you’re distracting me.”

“But you push me away every time I start kissing you,” Ichigo laughed, “Am I that distracting? I think I’m flattered.”

His smile faded slightly and his gaze softened as Uryu answered.

“It’s kind of like being close to the sun,” he whispered, his fingers caressing where they touched Ichigo’s soft cheeks, “It’s beautiful and warm, but if you look for too long, you’ll go blind, and if you get too close, you’ll burn.”

“I won’t burn you,” Ichigo promised, touching the dark-haired quincy’s face and looking deeply into his piqued blue eyes, “I just wanna love you.”

Ichigo looked into his eyes for a moment longer, then surged forward and brought him down onto his back, kissing and letting his hands wander playfully. And this time, when he kissed his quincy friend, Uryu kissed back with equal passion.

“I’m never going to get my work done, am I?” Uryu sighed between amorous kisses.

“Nope,” Ichigo chuckled, “I’ve been waiting too long. I want you. Make love to me, Uryu.”

_I should say no. I should at least argue. But, who am I kidding? I’ve felt it for awhile now…this attraction to him that’s so intoxicating, it makes me feel like I can’t breathe._

Uryu’s heart pounded wildly as their hands quickly pulled their clothes off and Ichigo’s warm, naked flesh touched his.

“You shouldn’t be doing this. You’re in no shape to be getting yourself riled,” he complained.

“It’s okay,” Ichigo laughed, bringing a heady shiver as his fingers slid down Uryu’s slender torso and began a slow preparation, “I promise I’ll sleep after.”

XXXXXXXXXX

Tetsuya sat quietly on the bed in the room he shared with Juushiro, one tentative hand reaching out to let light fingertips touch the sword that laid on the bed in front of him. His eyes radiated sadness that he felt echoed in the soul of the blade.

“Re-kuhime, what can I do?” he whispered, “What did I do that made you stop even speaking to me? What is making it so that I am so weak again? You have protected me since before I knew your name…before I knew you were a part of me. I would not be alive if not for you. I always thought that no matter what, you would always be with me. I trusted that. And even though you won’t speak to me, I still believe that. This…what you are doing…withdrawing. Re-kuhime, I can feel that you aren’t angry. I feel that you’re in pain. When I was alone, when I was the one in pain, you were there for me. Please let me understand. Please, let me help you.”

He forced himself to stop speaking, to wait patiently as he felt the spirit’s emotions roil underneath the cool, smooth metal surface of the blade. He breathed slowly and let his reaitsu wrap around the blade, offering comfort. Several long minutes passed with no response and he was about to shift to relieve that cramping in his legs. But he froze and stared as the blade in front of him glowed softly and very slowly, the pixie spirit from within began to form in front of him.

“Re-kuhime!” he breathed.

The pretty, blue-clad pixie flitted her wings and focused a pair of damp sapphire eyes on his. Her lips moved, but he couldn’t hear the words.

_Still, I know what the words are, because I learned so long ago to read Naoki’s lips as we whispered to each other in the darkness of our cell._

_‘I’m sorry’ you are saying._

_But why?_

_Why are you saying this?_

_Why can’t I hear you?_

The two realized suddenly that two men stood in the doorway, watching their sad exchange.

“Looks like you two are having some trouble,” Kisuke said kindly, “Juushiro asked me if I would try to help.”

“I don’t know what’s wrong,” Tetsuya confessed, brushing a tear from his face, “Before, I thought she wasn’t speaking to me, but that isn’t what’s happening at all. Re-kuhime is speaking to me, but I can’t hear her!”

“Okay,” the shopkeeper said calmly, moving closer as Juushiro joined Tetsuya on the bed, “let’s figure this out.”

He smiled as the pixie spirit met his eyes with a look of relief.

“She mouthed an apology,” Tetsuya explained, “but I don’t know what it is that’s made her feel like she needs to apologize to me. I feel her pain, her regret. I know she’s trying to connect with me, but something is stopping her. There is a suffocating weight on her heart.”

“It will be all right,” Juushiro assured him, slipping a comforting arm around him, “I may be wrong, but I think the fact that your sword’s spirit had materialized is a good thing.”

“It is,” Kisuke agreed, sitting down in a chair beside Tetsuya and gazing intently at the two, “It should be easier for me to test some theories about why this is happening. But, before I do that, I want you to understand, I already have an idea of what I’m seeing. Let me put it in simple terms. As you know, a shinigami and an _asauchi_ , or _sword spirit_ , are reflections of a shinigami’s power.”

He paused and nodded in Tetsuya’s direction.

“You have reiatsu in your body that comes into contact with your soul, and the reiatsu is shaped by your soul, giving it the form of certain powers. Some of these powers are innate, like your ability to breathe under water, and others are manifestations we use for shikai level power. Thousands of years ago, we didn’t have bankais,” the shopkeeper explained, “We didn’t have bankais until the first blank, constructed souls, or _asauchis_ were created. The addition of an asauchi to a shinigami soul resulted in the ability to form and use stronger attacks that the shinigami alone could not control or bear.”

He gave Tetsuya a curious smile.

“Now you, my friend, differ from that a bit.”

“How do you mean?” Juushiro asked, “Do you mean because of Arashi?”

Kisuke nodded.

“I mean because of Arashi and because Tetsuya’s powers clearly exceed what his body should be able to manage. I wasn’t around when Byakuya rescued Tetsuya. I had already been banished to the living world, so I didn’t have a chance to examine him when he was freed and brought to Kuchiki Manor. Not that the healers in any way mishandled his care, but there are questions that come to my mind instantly when I consider what I’ve seen of Tetsuya’s powers. First, and it’s a big one, there’s Arashi.”

He glanced at Tetsuya in askance.

“I heard that he appeared as you and Byakuya escaped the prison you were being held in.”

“Yes,” Tetsuya affirmed, “Naoki had just fallen, protecting me, and Byakuya and I were running, hand-in-hand, trying to escape. A guard appeared in front of us too quickly for us to react, and I was powerless anyway. At the last moment, I felt a burning pain in my belly and there was a bright blue flash of blinding light that stunned Byakuya and me. Arashi appeared in the center of that light and he blocked the attack and killed our attacker.”

“Did Arashi communicate with either you or Byakuya then?” asked Juushiro.

“No,” Tetsuya said, shaking his head, “I didn’t develop an ability to communicate internally with him until later, when I had adjusted to flowing reiatsu in my still weak body and the limiter was removed.”

“Did you ask Arashi about his origin later?” Kisuke inquired.

“I did, but he didn’t seem to know.”

“Hmm,” the shopkeeper said, turning his pale grey eyes onto the anxious sword spirit, “What do you have to say about that, Re-kuhime…if you don’t mind me asking?”

The blue-eyed pixie held their gaze silently, extending a down-turned hand and flushing slightly. Kisuke gave her a look of encouragement and reached out to take her tiny hand in his.

“Now, we’re getting somewhere,” he said, examining a marking on her light blue flesh, “This is a seal, a powerful one.”

Tetsuya gave him a look of alarm.

“A seal?” he repeated, “Y-you mean that Orochi…?”

“You think your cousin, Orochi, might have placed this marking?” asked the shopkeeper, “I’m asking because, whoever did place this seal was making a contract with Re-kuhime. Now, this is why I’m not convinced that it was Orochi who placed it.”

“What do you mean?” Tetsuya asked, “How do you know this?”

“Well, it’s true that Re-kuhime was already a part of you when you were a prisoner.”

“Yes, I felt her intercession on several occasions, when my life was directly threatened in the prison.”

“You didn’t have an asauchi at the time, so her power and her ability to affect you and the environment around you was affected by that, and by the limiter that you were forced to wear.”

“That is correct, to my knowledge,” Tetsuya affirmed.

“Who gave you your asauchi?” Juushiro asked, “It was Byakuya, wasn’t it?”

Tetsuya nodded.

“Byakuya-sama wanted to be certain that I would be strong enough to protect myself amidst the heavy clan divisions over the mixed bloods that persisted even after the illegal prisons were found and shut down. So, he gave me an asauchi in a blank blade and as all shinigami learners do, I poured my reiatsu into the sword, day after day as I trained.”

“I remember Byakuya expressing pride at how quickly you learned your sword spirit’s name and gained control of your shikai,” Juushiro said approvingly.

“So, you were privately trained by Byakuya?” asked the shopkeeper.

“Yes, I was exclusively trained by him.”

“And he never mentioned having any kind of agreement with Re-kuhime?” asked Juushiro.

“You think that Byakuya-sama made a contract with Re-kuhime?” Tetsuya mused, frowning, “He never mentioned doing so.”

“This is important, Tetsuya,” Kisuke warned him, “I want you to tell me exactly when and how you lost your powers. I know you don’t know why, but you remember the circumstances, ne?”

“Yes,” Tetsuya said in a decided tone, “It was after I was somehow able to heal Ukitake-sama. I brought him here and we began to talk about my powers. In the midst of that, a group of injured arrived and there was a small boy who I was trying to save, but I was losing him. I felt something inside, something that I also felt when healing Ukitake-sama. There was something that felt like a wall between me and my power. With each time that I saved a life I should not have been able to, I felt this. While healing the boy, Re-kuhime noted my awareness and she said she would help me, but that I must not watch.”

“Interesting,” Kisuke said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

“I entered my inner world to try to speak to her, but she hid and, I thought she wasn’t speaking to me out of anger. Arashi was in my inner world, but although he looked to be suffering some kind of guilt, he could tell me nothing. It was then that I tried to enter the water and found that none of my powers, not even my innate ones, were working.”

“He nearly drowned,” Juushiro added, “He was coughing up water when he returned out of his inner world.”

“Urahara-san,” Tetsuya said urgently, “many lives depend on me having my powers, so that I can defend them. You must have some idea what is happening to me. Your eyes tell me you do!”

Kisuke took a slow breath and nodded.

“I think I do,” he said solemnly, “It all comes down to one thing, a very basic truth of shinigami powers. You see, for you to access the power in your body and to shape and use it, requires a joining of mind, body and heart. Without the complete joining of those three things, there can be no power use.”

“That would explain why you have normal reiatsu levels, even though your powers are not working,” Juushiro concluded.

Tetsuya’s frown deepened and he gave the shopkeeper a confused look.

“But, I learned very early on how to join those three things,” he mused, “I have done this effortlessly for many years, and I have never had this trouble until now! Why would that be? Urahara-san, why is this happening to me?”

Their eyes followed where Kisuke’s turned downward to study the marking on Re-kuhime’s still captured hand.

“Something happened that began to violate the terms of whatever agreement exists between Re-kuhime and the person who placed the seal. That is the only explanation for what’s happening to you.”

“And you don’t think that Orochi could be responsible?” Tetsuya asked uncertainly.

Kisuke looked directly into the younger man’s widened eyes.

“Orochi didn’t give you your asauchi,” he said pointedly, “and unless I miss my guess, he wouldn’t have been allowed anywhere near you after everyone learned what he’d been doing to you.”

“No,” Tetsuya agreed, “he wasn’t allowed near me. Byakuya-sama made sure of that.”

Juushiro’s breath caught and Tetsuya’s eyes rounded in realization.

“You think that…?” he began.

He broke off at the sound of a footstep in his doorway. Shocked blue eyes met Byakuya’s searching grey ones, then the two locked together.

“Byakuya-sama!” Tetsuya gasped, leaving the bed and flash stepping into his cousin’s welcoming embrace, “Byakuya-sama, you’ve come home!”


	7. The Promise and the Price

“How are Renji and Rikichi?” Toshiro asked, shifting uncomfortably where he sat on the examination table, “We didn’t have time to fully examine them in the field.”

“They’re fine, just a little beat up. But both will recover fully. And Orihime-chan and Rukia-chan are spoiling them completely. Now, just sit still, my boy, and let me have a look at you,” the aged Kuchiki healer said kindly, touching his fingertips to Toshiro’s wrist to take his pulse, and looking deeply into the young man’s bright, but unseeing eyes, “We’ll get to the bottom of what’s troubling you.”

“Oh, I’m sure you will,” Toshiro answered, trying to sound more confident than he felt.

_I haven’t been able to see anything, not even any differing levels of light. I didn’t feel so worried while my concentration was on staying alive and finding Abarai, but now that we are safe…_

“You were beat up quite a bit, but it looks as though Byakuya-sama did a good job in healing your other injuries.”

The old healer gave a little, soft chuckle.

“He takes after his father, though neither one of them was allowed to pursue it,” he commented.

“What was that?” Toshiro asked, perking slightly, “Did you say that Byakuya and his father…?”

“Oh, they were both very promising young healers, although, because they were also leaders, they were expected to forego positions in the fourth division.”

“I don’t understand,” Toshiro mused, furrowing his brow thoughtfully, “Or…maybe I do. Are you saying that the elders wanted the leaders to all take fighting positions?”

“Exactly, my boy,” Michio confirmed, “Now, Ginrei-sama was more lenient with his Soujun. He secretly allowed Soujun to practice his healing abilities with me.”

Michio paused and a sad look came over his face.

“When Soujun was chosen for the fukutaicho’s position in the sixth division, Ginrei-sama was very proud, but he secretly worried for his son and protected him as carefully as he could.”

“But Soujun was killed in battle,” Toshiro remembered.

“Yes, yes,” the old healer sighed, moving closer to examine a healing wound on the white –haired taicho’s head, “And it was worse because the elders learned of the fact that Soujun had been _playing at_ being a healer. And even though he had never neglected his training, they were quick to point to that and lay blame. Poor Ginrei-sama had no choice when young Byakuya-sama began to also show promise in healing. He curtailed the heir’s training in that area and focused all of Byakuya-sama’s attention on learning to fight. The poor boy was mourning his father, and very aware that the elders blamed Ginrei for being too indulgent of Soujun. He dedicated himself completely to learning fighting abilities. Now, he only uses his healing ability when he absolutely must, but I think, deep down, he is sad that this is necessary.”

“It is sad,” Toshiro agreed, “Byakuya shouldn’t have to feel bad about being a natural healer. I don’t know why people look down on healers like that.”

“Well,” Michio said, smiling kindly, “maybe we don’t look as flashy as the fighters do, but we also stand between life and death…and our opponent in the battle is not one we can see, but a sort of shadow that hangs about. I have no regrets about having made my life about healing, but then, I am not a leader or a person of high privilege within the family. The weight of responsibility lies more heavily with them.”

Michio shook his head firmly.

“I am glad to be protected by them, but my old heart aches for them sometimes.”

“I’m sure it does,” Toshiro said somberly, “Now that I know, I feel sad for him too.”

“Ah, but don’t you let it bother you, son,” Michio said more cheerfully, “Byakuya-sama may have a lot of responsibility, but he has much to enjoy in his life too. There are tradeoffs, but not everything about being a leader is bad.”

“I guess not,” Toshiro agreed, “I would be on top of the world waking up at Kuchiki Manor every morning, breathing in the scent of the flowers from those gardens. And seeing…”

He stopped and went silent.

Michio laid a gentle hand on his.

“Don’t you worry, my boy. Although I don’t know exactly how long you will be without use of your eyes, I also don’t see any impediment to you healing fully. Just give yourself time. Your body took quite a shock and you were not able to be treated right away. You need to rest and eat a lot. No training for about a week. I will conduct visual testing every day in the morning and at night to see if there are any changes. And, I don’t know if you are aware, Urahara Kisuke is with us. He will surely take you back to Karakura Town, where he has the proper equipment for a full assessment. We weren’t able to move the large equipment and we don’t know yet whether ours survived the war. The fourth division took damage too. So, the most difficult cases will be going to Karakura Town until we have rebuilt. Hopefully, it won’t take terribly long.”

“I don’t know,” Toshiro said uncertainly, “Ywach and his soldiers pretty much destroyed the Seireitei. I didn’t pass Kuchiki Manor, so I don’t know its condition.”

“It’s probably not good,” Michio concluded, “but we’ll put things back together.”

He patted Toshiro on the shoulder.

“You are healing well, young man. I know your situation is unnerving.”

“I’m actually doing all right,” Toshiro said more cheerfully, “Byakuya was teaching me how to sense reiatsu patterns so I can still sense what’s around me.”

“Brilliant,” Michio said approvingly, “It just goes to show what I said. If he can’t heal something, he can think of a million ways to compensate. He’s a bright boy, like you.”

“Yeah,” Toshiro agreed, feeling an odd warmth on his cheeks, “he is.”

XXXXXXXXXX

Tetsuya hugged his cousin tightly, almost forgetting the other two men and pixie spirit in the room, and the subject that had had him nearly in tears only moments before.

“We felt your reiatsu disappear and we feared the worst until we sensed its return some days later. We still didn’t know what happened to you until Urahara-san arrived and told us about your injury and healing, as well as the battles in the royal realm. It must have been awful up there.”

“Yes,” Byakuya agreed, his eyes narrowing as they found Juushiro, “but it seems we have other things to discuss. As I was coming in, I was informed by our head elder that you have been recommended for our family’s highest honor for seeing to the successful evacuation and protection of the clan in my absence. Tetsuya, they are giving you the _golden sakura emblem_.”

“What?” Tetsuya whispered, giving him a shocked look, “But they have never given the emblem to a mixed blood!”

“It is well-deserved,” Byakuya said approvingly, “I have received a full accounting of the battles that took place here while I was gone. Tetsuya, I am proud of you.”

“Thank you, Byakuya-sama,” Tetsuya said gratefully, “But…”

“No,” Byakuya said firmly, touching Tetsuya’s lips with two gentle fingertips, “This is not a time for you to be overly humble. Be grateful, but just know that you have become everything we always dreamed of while we were training together for all of those years.”

He noticed Tetsuya’s eyes moving to look in Juushiro’s direction and stepped back slightly, nodding at his comrade, the quietly gazing pixie spirit, and the Karakura shopkeeper.

“Urahara Kisuke, I thank you for coming here to assist our healers. I’ve been informed that because of you, a great many lives were saved that would not have been. We will show our gratitude more properly when the crisis has past and it is more appropriate to hold those types of ceremonies.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Kisuke chuckled, “I’m glad to help. You know that.”

Byakuya moved forward and stopped in front of Juushiro, his dark grey eyes studying his fellow taicho intently.

“Ukitake taicho,” he said in a welcoming tone, “I am pleased to see you, but I am somewhat confused. I was made to understand that when you called upon the god that you were bound to, it meant that you were going to die. Yet, here you are, very much alive, and I can feel that your reiatsu is stronger than I remember. Something profound must have happened.”

“Yes,” Juushiro answered, smiling and taking Tetsuya’s hand in his, “Tetsuya _happened_.”

Byakuya gave him a confused look.

“Tetsuya?” he mused, “But your condition was incurable. The best healers in the Seireitei, Urahara Kiuske, not even the human girl, Orihime, could heal you. How could Tetsuya have healed you?”

“I don’t know,” the elder taicho said, looking down into Tetsuya’s widened eyes, “No one seems to know, not even your cousin. But, there’s no denying it. I have been examined since Tetsuya brought me here and there is not a thing wrong with any part of me now. I have already recovered my shikai and I will soon have my bankai restored as well.”

Byakuya turned darkly curious eyes on his cousin, bringing an instant blush to Tetsuya’s face.

“Tetsuya?” he prompted the younger Kuchiki, “Can you tell me what happened?”

Tetsuya cleared his throat to give himself time to think.

“I was in the battle zone, because we sensed that Ywach had fallen, and I was leading a group of fighters to find you. We instead found a number of injured, including Ukitake-sama and his attendants. The attendants were unconscious, although not badly injured, but it seemed that Ukitake-sama was on his last breaths. I…I don’t remember exactly what happened then,” he confessed, “I wanted badly to heal him and I was afraid he was going to die in front of me. All of the things I knew to do were failing and I was beside myself, because Ukitake-sama has long been a friend of our family. I tried to intensify the power I was using, but I felt as though there was something getting in the way…a sort of wall between me and whatever I needed to do to heal him. I lost awareness of what I did next, but then I felt his life force getting stronger. I was…blinded for a moment and I felt weak and sweaty all over, and I felt dizzy.”

He paused at the little flash of recognition in Byakuya’s eyes that appeared and just as quickly, vanished.

“Tetsuya has been fully examined, both by your own family healer and now by me,” Kisuke added, “You might want to know that, in addition to curing Juushiro, here, Tetsuya also saved a boy who was clinically dead. And even after a thorough examination, I can’t tell you why your cousin was able to heal at this level.”

Byakuya tensed at the words, but took a steadying breath and calmed again swiftly.

“Tetsuya has always had a natural talent for healing,” he commented, “But he has trained exclusively as a fighter. There is no way that he could do these things.”

“It’s quite an anomaly,” Kisuke said, looking down at the still manifested pixie spirit, “but it seems to have come at a pretty substantial price.”

“What do you mean?” Byakuya asked, frowning.

“He means that I have lost my powers,” Tetsuya explained.

Byakuya’s frown deepened.

“But, your reiatsu feels perfectly normal,” he noted, “Yet…?”

“My reiatsu is normal,” Tetsuya went on, “but I can no longer channel it as I could before.”

“And this happened after you performed these two acts of healing?” Byakuya asked, glancing back at Re-kuhime.

The pixie spirit looked at him silently, showing no sign of what she might be thinking.

“Yes,” Tetsuya confirmed, “I am unable to use flash step, kido or my shikai or bankai. And even my innate abilities are affected.”

“Tetsuya was, of course, beside himself,” Juushiro went on, “so I asked Kisuke to examine him.”

“I checked him out and I could find absolutely nothing wrong with him,” Kisuke reported, “Which led me to the only logical conclusion. The impediment between Tetsuya and his powers is not related to an injury or illness, but has emotional aspects that are interfering with his ability to join mind, body and heart. I questioned Tetsuya a little more and also had a look at Re-kuhime to make sure she was okay. That’s when I found this.”

He turned the pixie spirit’s hand, exposing that small golden marking and watching Byakuya’s reaction closely.

“Tetsuya doesn’t know where the marking came from, and he had no awareness it existed until he lost his powers and he couldn’t communicate with Re-kuhime. You, on the other hand, don’t look very surprised to see it.”

Byakuya looked back at the others wordlessly for a moment. Then, he let out a slow breath and nodded.

“I placed that seal on Tetsuya’s zanpakuto as a mutual contract,” he admitted, “Tetsuya, if you want me to explain my reasons, I will tell you, but I would prefer to do this alone.”

Kisuke nodded.

“Let me know if I can be any more help to you.”

Juushiro hesitated, giving Tetsuya a bracing smile and touching his cheek lightly, making the already present flush darken.

“I am going to see how Renji and Rikichi are doing. Rukia was terribly worried about them.”

He paused and glanced at Byakuya.

“And about you too, Byakuya. It…really is good to see you back and safe.”

“It is good to see you alive,” Byakuya said sincerely, “and I thank you for comforting my cousin when his powers failed. I am sure he was distressed. Hopefully, my explanation will help him regain his footing.”

“I’m sure it will,” Juushiro said encouragingly.

Byakuya didn’t miss the way his cousin’s downcast eyes followed the thirteenth division taicho to the doorway.

“You seem to have become very comfortable with Ukitake taicho,” the clan leader noted.

“We had to share his quarters,” Tetsuya reasoned, his cheeks flaming, “as there were not enough beds for everyone once the wounded started arriving.”

“Hmm,” Byakuya said, considering his cousin’s flustered reaction, “I heard.”

“I am glad that he was here,” Tetsuya added in a steadier tone, “He was helpful when I was struggling, trying to get Re-kuhime to speak to me again. I went into my inner world and she hid from me in the lake there. I tried to enter the lake and nearly drowned. Juushiro was right there to calm me after, and it was he who asked Urahara-san to help too.”

“He has a tendancy to forget proper boundaries between clans sometimes,” Byakuya said disapprovingly, “however, I am relieved that he was there to calm you. Whatever may have happened to you and whatever you may be thinking right now, it was not my intention to either hurt you or to come between you and your powers, _watashi no itoko_. You must know that.”

“I do!” Tetsuya insisted, “But…what confuses me is that you kept what you did from me. It made me wonder when you did this and why. I know that you have always cared for me and that you want the best for me, so I know that if you placed this seal and made this contract with my zanpakuto, you wouldn’t have done it without good reason.”

Byakuya turned away, holding his breath for a moment, then loosing it in a sigh.

“I don’t know if my reasons were good reasons,” he said finally, “but they were honest. Tetsuya, you came to me after I lost my father, but I did explain to you how his death affected me.”

Tetsuya gave him a tentative nod.

“I know you said that Soujun-sama was a good healer, and that you have some healing ability, but I understood when you told me that we must train to fight…that if we want to remain free and to make our own choices, we must defend the right to do that. So, you are saying that you made a contract with Re-kuhime to see I would do that? But…somehow these acts of healing violated those terms you set with her?”

Byakuya gave him an uncertain look.

“It was more than that. Tetsuya, there is something I have not told you about my father’s death…something that was weighing on me when you arrived at Kuchiki Manor, weak of body and with no powers in your body at all.”

Tetsuya gave him a sad smile.

“I know that I resemble Soujun-sama, except that his eyes were blue-violet and mine are sapphire colored, and his hair was straighter and behaved, unlike mine.”

“My father’s body was also weak,” Byakuya confessed, “although he was very talented. But his gift was for healing and, as you know, the heir is expected to lead the sixth division, not to serve in the fourth. So, as a result of being forced to train in fighting instead of healing, he never achieved bankai before his death.”

“You are saying…?”

“I am saying that if he had been allowed to train as a healer, he would have reached bankai. I know this for a fact. He told me this before he died. But, he said that it did not matter. He only wanted to please his father, so he made the best of his situation. But, even though he wasn’t supposed to…we practiced healing together on a regular basis.”

“You did?” Tetsuya asked, his face lighting slightly at the thought.

“My father was a very talented healer, and just before he died, we were surprised when his zanpakuto suddenly manifested.”

“What?” Tetsuya breathed in a shocked voice.

Byakuya paused for a moment, his face reflecting barely repressed agony.

“He had reached manifestation as a healer, but we could tell no one because he was not supposed to be practicing healing skills at all. He went to his death with only me left knowing.”

Tetsuya’s blue eyes closed against the tears that had begun to build in the corners.

“I did not know, but we had been seen in some of our practice sessions by at least two of the elders and when my father died, I was chastised for taking part in such a _disgraceful show of disobedience_. And while no one said that I was to blame, I felt the blame.”

“It wasn’t your fault…” Tetsuya began.

“But it was,” Byakuya managed in an oddly choked voice, “Tetsuya, my indulgence in healer training distracted him from his fighter training. It disturbed his focus and he was killed because of that. I carried that weight on my heart and when I brought you to Kuchiki Manor, barely alive and powerless…so weak that you weren’t expected to live, I swore at that moment, that it wasn’t going to be that way with you. It wasn’t until later that you began to show signs of healing ability.”

Tetsuya frowned.

“When was this?” he asked, looking confused, “I didn’t think I showed that much promise in healing.”

“You showed potential while you were still under the limiter. You just didn’t see it that way because your powers were still being held back to protect your still-weak body. But yes, you showed an exceptional gift for healing in the first few weeks I knew you. My grandfather noticed and took me aside to speak to me alone.”

Byakuya’s troubled eyes closed as he continued.

“He also saw the connection between you and my father. While it is true that you are not a leader, you are of mixed blood, Tetsuya, and you know that means that first, more will always be required of you in the ways of performance and obedience. You also know that you have to be strong to endure the hatred that some have for your kind, a hatred that persists, even as the rules regarding mixed bloods have eased.”

“I understand all of this, but how did this make you think that you needed to form a contract with Re-kuhime?”

“I made the contract with your zanpakuto because I needed for you to be strong, and healing power was not going to get you anything but perhaps killed. I had already lost my father and I was under heavy pressure because of my own role in my father’s death. I used Senbonzakura to draw Re-kuhime out, so that I could speak to her directly. I did this, even though she resisted. She did not want to lie to you and she did not want to hurt you. But I forced her to manifest and to explain exactly what powers you had. Then, I placed the seal and I lied to you about what they were.”

“You…lied to me about my powers?” Tetsuya asked, staring at his blue-steel sword, “I don’t understand. I use waterforms…”

“You do use waterforms, but their original power was connected to healing,” Byakuya explained.

“But…I use them for fighting. I have a bankai…ice blades. I…”

Tetsuya froze as Byakuya’s hands captured his face, locking their gazes.

“I told you that Arashi, your stallion, who appeared when we were about to die, was a manifestation of your will to live that was stronger than your body, Tetsuya. That part was true.”

Tetsuya’s voice shook as he forced out his next question.

“And…what was the lie?”

Byakuya took a steadying breath.

“I told you that when Arashi fights, he uses your powers,” he confessed softly.

“And that is not true?” Tetsuya asked, looking more confused.

“No,” Byakuya confirmed, “Arashi is not using your power to fight, you are using his.”

Tetsuya stared at him, unable to make his voice sound.

“The powers that you have been using are Arashi’s powers that manifested with him to protect you. They are, in a sense, yours, in that Arashi is a part of your soul that was forced out of your body when we were threatened. But, your use of waterforms is not meant for fighting. Your waterforms are actually a means of healing. The contract I made with Re-kuhime prevented her from telling you this. She agreed to keep your healing powers a secret from everyone and I agreed to make you strong enough to survive the threats that were all around you. I fulfilled my end of the agreement, as is clear from the honor that the clan is poised to bestow on you, but when your need to heal Ukitake taicho and that boy became too strong, it put pressure on the seal, causing the break between you and your zanpakuto. It hurt you, and I had never intended for that to happen…but I did not know when I made the agreement that I was interfering…with a _divine_ power.”

Tetsuya stared at him in disbelief, the words ringing in his ears.

“A divine power?” he whispered, his face going white.

“What else could it be?” Byakuya reasoned, “It broke the heaviest seal I could conjure and you saved two lives that should have ended. It damaged you and your zanpakuto. And…”

Byakuya paused, steeling himself as realization passed over Tetsuya’s face. His rounded eyes met Byakuya’s questioningly and saw that devastating answer.

“If…I had known the truth and I had trained as a healer, I could have healed Hisana-sama?” he managed in a barely audible voice, “And who else? How many died who didn’t have to? All to protect me?”

“I made a decision, meaning to protect you, and it likely means that I traded Hisana’s life. That is not your failure, but mine, watashi no itoko.”

Byakuya gathered himself and gave a long shaky sigh.

“Tetsuya, I am…so very sorry.”


	8. Where There's a Will

Tetsuya studied Byakuya’s penitent face as his cousin’s words echoed in his ears.

 _Tetsuya, I am…so very sorry_.

He started to answer, but was stopped by a firm shake of his cousin’s head and a meeting of their eyes.

“I know what you are thinking,” Byakuya went on, holding his gaze intently, “You see the pain in my eyes and you know that I am being sincere, and it is in your heart to instantly forgive me, because that is the kind of person you are. But, you should not forgive me yet.”

“Byakuya…”

“Do not forgive me, Tetsuya,” Byakuya persisted, sitting down on the bed beside him, “My actions were selfish and they were dishonest, but it does not stop at that. I was also deceptive and manipulating. I did this for what seemed like good reasons, but as you concluded, my actions may have cost you the chance of saving Hisana’s life. Had I accepted you as you were and allowed you to train as a healer instead of a fighter, you most likely could have saved her. And there were others who you might have saved in the years that followed. I was trying to do what I felt was right, but those decisions came with a terrible price.”

“You didn’t know,” Tetsuya assured him, “Byakuya-sama, I am not saying that you didn’t do anything wrong, but I know that you would never intentionally hurt anyone, not Hisana, nor our friends and family, nor me! And although we can speculate, it is equally possible that this divine gift, if that’s what it is, would have developed no more quickly than it did.”

“You cannot tell me that if you had trained…” Byakuya began.

“No!” Tetsuya exclaimed, taking his cousin’s hands in his, “Please listen to what I’m telling you. I did not train to do what I just did for Ukitake-sama or for Saito Arata! There was something inside me that changed when I found Ukitake-sama dying on the battlefield. I was beside myself, wanting to heal him and I felt all barriers between us break. And the next time I entered my inner world, the night that always existed in that place was gone.”

“What?” Byakuya breathed, giving his cousin a mystified look.

Tetsuya nodded and tightened his hold on his cousin’s hands.

“Morning has come to my evernight inner world,” he repeated, “Byakuya-sama, you know that a change like that to my inner world is a profound reflection.”

“But you could have had that reflection long ago if…”

“I _wanted_ just as badly to heal Hisana-sama,” Tetsuya insisted, “I wanted that more than anything! If it was will alone that made the difference, I would have broken the barriers then. That I did not suggests that my ability was simply not meant to appear before the fateful moment when it did. And…it is also possible that if I had not learned to fight, I never would have lived long enough to heal Ukitake-sama! How many times in the past hundred years have my fighting skills saved my life? You know of more than five occasions when Arashi was unable to help me and it was my own sword that kept me from dying! I am not telling you that what you did wasn’t wrong. Just, please, don’t add weight to your heart about things that are in the past. I accept your apology. I admit that it brings me pain to know that you lied to me, and that you forced Re-kuhime to lie to me as well. It hurts me. I won’t say it doesn’t. But the important thing is to recognize the gift of healing that I can offer to everyone…that is, as soon as my mind, body and heart are in balance again so I can summon the ability.”

“You would not be suffering that imbalance if you had been told the truth from the beginning,” Byakuya said softly, “Your transition would have gone much more smoothly if…”

“Do you really believe that?” Tetsuya asked, stopping him again, “Byakuya-sama, you know that great gifts are born amidst struggle. How many times did you tell me that as I learned from you? I don’t expect that receiving a divine gift would ever be easy, whatever decisions we made. But we can’t go back. We can only move forward. If you can accept me and the gift I have been granted, I can begin to accept myself.”

“Oh Tetsuya,” Byakuya sighed, wrapping warm arms around his cousin and pulling him close, “the problem was never that I didn’t accept you or your gift. It was only that I feared for how you would be looked down on…and what dangers might threaten you. You had already been through so much. I did not want anyone to be able to make you suffer so much again.”

“And because of Arashi, and because of the fighting skills that you taught me, I can now protect myself. Now that I can, give me your blessing to find the gift that was given to me, and to use that gift to bring healing where it is most needed.”

Byakuya shook his head gently and kissed his cousin on the cheek.

“You have already been blessed by the highest power, a far higher power than mine,” he insisted, “But as you desire it, you have my blessing and my protection. I will not do anything to hold you back anymore and will do my best to repair the damage I did by lying to you, _watashi no itoko_.”

He turned his attention to the pixie spirit who hovered near them, watching the two through cautiously hopeful blue eyes.

“My lady,” Byakuya said, bowing his head slightly and reaching in her direction, “please allow me to undo the wrong I committed upon you and your master.”

Re-kuhime’s blue eyes met his proudly and she accepted his touch on her hand. The seal that Byakuya had placed, years before, flickered, then faded. Byakuya stood and touched Tetsuya’s cheek gently.

“Again, you have my apologies, and if there is anything that I can do to make your path easier, you need only ask.”

Tetsuya swallowed hard around the knot in his throat and threw his arms around his cousin, hugging him crushingly.

“Thank you, Byakuya-sama. I know how difficult this is for you.”

“How difficult it is for _me_ , you say?” Byakuya asked, frowning, “Do not trouble yourself worrying about me. Find your center. Reconnect mind, heart and body. Heal yourself so that you can heal others.”

He turned and walked to the door, where he paused without looking back.

“I wish that I could do the same,” he whispered.

He disappeared before Tetsuya could respond, leaving his cousin sitting on the bed, looking in the direction he had gone. He shook his head and turned it to look at Re-kuhime, who flitted her wings and tried again to speak to him, only to find her voice still silent.

“It’s going to be all right,” he reassured the troubled spirit, “I know you are with me. I will hear you soon, I promise.”

His eyes burned and filled with tears as the spirit faded, leaving him finally alone in the room. Tetsuya’s eyes closed, loosing tears that ran down his face unrestrained, dripping onto his clothes.

“You look heartsick,” Ukitake’s gentle voice intoned.

_When did he come back into the room?_

_How long was I sitting here, crying silently?_

“Is there anything I can do, Tetsuya?”

He opened his eyes and brushed at them, not trusting his voice enough yet to speak. Instead, he shook his head, waiting and not moving as the elder man sat down beside him and slid and hand into his.

“I know that learning Byakuya was behind the seal on your blade must have been a terrible shock.”

Tetsuya blinked, sending more tears sliding down his face. Juushiro’s other hand moved to brush them away.

“You knew before he told me, didn’t you?” Tetsuya inquired, “That’s why you went to Urahara Kisuke.”

“I didn’t know,” Juushiro admitted, “but I suspected it could be.”

“I know he was only protecting me,” Tetsuya added in a soft, shaking voice, “He meant no betrayal.”

Juushiro’s green eyes reflected sadness and sympathy as he continued to brush away the younger man’s tears.

“But it was a betrayal, well meaning as he was. And that betrayal hurt you.”

“Byakuya-sama never wanted for me to be hurt. I know that. I tried to tell him I forgive him, but his guilt eats away at him. I need to talk to him about this, to make things right, but I dare not burden him right now, while our wounds are so raw.”

“Then burden me,” Juushiro said quietly, “I am fully healed now, thanks to you, and there is nothing I wish more than to return the unexpected gift of healing that you gave me. Let me help you, Tetsuya, or at least comfort you.”

_When did we turn to look at each other directly?_

_How did our faces come to be so close together?_

_Is he going to…?_

Tetsuya’s eyes closed and he felt the lightest contact of the other man’s lips on his.

“Open your eyes,” the elder man requested, his lips teasing Tetsuya’s as they moved.

Tetsuya felt heat flash on his face and he wasn’t sure how he forced his eyelids to part, leaving their gaze locked as Juushiro’s lips pressed against his more firmly and the elder man’s arms slid around him to hold him securely. The kisses that followed were chaste, sweet, and so warm that they left Tetsuya’s flushed all over and his heart pounding madly.

“Ukitake-sama,” he managed, sucking in a painful breath as the beautiful contact sent his head into an odd spin and his loins ached desirously.

It was then that the two noticed the deep blue light that radiated brightly around them. The two men froze and stared speechlessly, even as Byakuya and Kisuke appeared in the doorway and stopped abruptly to observe.

“The light of resonance,” Byakuya breathed, his gaze intense, “The two of you are…?”

“Perfect resonants,” Kisuke finished, “Well, that explains a few things.”

XXXXXXXXXX

Uryu woke to the incredible warmth and sinful comfort of Ichigo’s naked body stretching out across his bare back, and the ginger-haired man’s embrace keeping their bodies connected even as Ichigo slept soundly astride him.

_I should throw him off, onto the floor. He deserves it. I never planned to let him have sex with me. But once we started, it felt so good that I didn’t want it to stop. He’s everything I always yell at him for being…brash, reckless, impulsive, and dangerously heedless. It’s what I hate about him and what I love the most about him._

_What do I do about that?_

“Stop thinking so hard,” Ichigo mumbled, kissing the back of Uryu’s neck and moving his hips, igniting a little electric twinge that danced through his lover’s slender body, making him suck in a hissing breath and raise his hips wantonly, “Why do you always get in the way of your own happiness, Uryu?”

“How happy am I going to be if I do something stupid and ruin everything?” he countered.

“You mean, like not making love to me again and kicking me outta here?”

“If I kick you out, where are you going to go?” Uryu asked pointedly, “We’re sharing a chamber here, because there aren’t enough beds for everyone.”

“So, let them have the bed I’m not using cause I’m sleeping with you,” Ichigo snickered.

“And have everyone _know_ we’re sleeping together?” Uryu complained, trying to wriggle out from under him.

“Like they don’t know already,” Ichigo giggled, “We don’t need the extra bed. We should let them give it to someone who does.”

Uryu turned his head to avoid his lover’s kiss, and his eye fell on the empty bed across from the one they occupied.

_He’s right that we should just let someone else use that bed. We don’t need it. I’m not going to kick him out of my bed, and we both know it._

Sweat broke out on his forehead as Ichigo’s fingers slid around his torso, seeking his erect nipples and teasing the sensitive nubs until Uryu loosed a piqued gasp and his bottom rose up reflexively, asking for deeper penetration.

_I love how strong his body feels. I think that’s why I resist him. I want him inside me, but I want to feel him conquer me._

Ichigo’s powerful body answered his desires with a series of harder, faster thrusts that stole his breath away and made his darker thoughts scatter. His fingers dug into the bedding and he groaned erotically, trying to muffle the sound in his pillow.

“Don’t suffocate yourself,” Ichigo laughed, lifting his body so that he knelt between Uryu’s scandalously spread thighs.

He pulled the other young man’s hips up higher, intensifying his motions until Uryu’s resistance crumbled completely and he moaned and panted heedlessly.

“Ichigo!”

A hard bite on the back of his shoulder as Ichigo dropped back down on his back, made Uryu’s body shudder warningly as he began to climax. A few more vigorous thrusts and Ichigo joined his writhing lover in the heavy jolts of a powerful release. He slid off of Uryu’s sweating back, turning his lover and attacking his frowning mouth with passionate, wet kisses the other young man returned with equal enthusiasm. They rested quietly together for several minutes, then Uryu gave his ginger-haired lover a measured look.

“Can I finish what I was doing now?” he asked dryly.

“Sure,” Ichigo chuckled, stealing one of Uryu’s earbuds as his lover put the other back into his ear.

“We need to know what the quincies are planning.”

Ichigo frowned.

“You…say that like you’re not one of them. Like we’re not two of them.”

Uryu gave a shuddering sigh.

“We’re quincies, sure. But these guys are quincies with a dead king and a grudge against Ywach that they can’t really avenge.”

“So…what? You think they’ll take their frustrations out on the shinigamis?” Ichigo inquired, nudging closer to him.

“I don’t know exactly,” Uryu confessed softly, his fingers tapping on his laptop keyboard, “but I want to be sure that if anything happens, we know about it.”

The two paused as a hidden camera within the shadows sent back a slightly fuzzy image of two men in white military clothing.

“Is our group in position?” the first man asked the second.

“They are awaiting your order, Kaiser Nacht.”

“Nacht?” Ichigo repeated.

“He’s a noble lord,” Uryu explained, “He’s been making noises about becoming the interim leader while the noble families create order and decide what to do, now that the king is dead and I’ve abdicated.”

“You look kinda worried about that,” Ichigo noted.

“Nacht is powerful and he’s angry. He can’t focus that anger on Ywach, so he’ll find an enemy to take it out on. I just wonder…”

Uryu went silent and the two young men stiffened at the Kaiser’s next words.

“I am going to join them. When I reach the camp, we’ll march to the Kuchiki evacuation site…and annihilate anyone and everyone there!”

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya watched warily as Kisuke carefully examined the white-haired taicho, then Tetsuya, before shaking his head in wonder and smiling.

“There you have it, folks,” he concluded, “A divine gift and a perfect resonance.”

“Perfect Resonance,” Byakuya said solemnly, “is said to be a prize gift of the soul king.”

“Which is odd, because of…”

Byakuya cleared his throat meaningfully and the shopkeeper paused as the clan leader closed the door to the bedroom and set a privacy seal in place.

“My apologies,” Byakuya said, nodding, “It is just that, by order of Central 46, the information we are about to discuss is restricted to fukutaicho levels and above. Tetsuya, because this matter directly concerns you, I will clear you to be informed, but none of us are allowed to discuss what I will tell you, outside of this room.”

“You are referring to the death of the soul king?” Juushiro asked, “Kisuke brought me up to date about that, although there wasn’t time for me to hear the full details. It’s true, then?”

Byakuya gave him a dark look and nodded.

Tetsuya’s face paled.

“The soul king is dead?” he asked in a shaking voice, “But…Central 46 issued a statement…”

“It was a lie,” Byakuya said with forced calm, “The sages and judges decided that the populace would be panicked to know that the king fell in the war.”

“But if the war is over and there is no king, then what is holding our worlds together?” Tetsuya asked urgently, “What is keeping the balance of souls?”

Byakuya, Juushiro and Kisuke exchanged glances.

“Squad Zero placed Ywach’s dead body in a crystal prison, like the one that held the former king,” Kisuke explained, “The reiatsu in even his dead body will maintain the balance of souls indefinitely. I’m only revealing this to you so that you can understand why I am so mystified at the fact your gift emerged now. Given that the former king granted this power to you before you were born, and that it was his plan for you to have it, I don’t know why he didn’t plan for that gift to save _him_.”

“Yes,” Ukitake agreed, “Why would he instead have fate place Tetsuya with me? What is our importance in all of this?”

“I don’t think there’s any real way to know,” Kisuke posited, “All we can know is that the two of you are perfect resonants, and that the king meant for Tetsuya to gain his powers and heal you after the king, himself, died. I don’t know your role in what is going to happen next, but…I think something big must be coming.”

“In any case,” Byakuya said, studying Tetsuya and Ukitake more closely, “there are rules about the emergence of the True Bond or Perfect Resonance. Those displaying it…”

“Are immediately bound in marriage!” Juushiro said in a shocked tone, meeting Tetsuya’s equally surprised eyes.

“But…we barely know each other!” Tetsuya objected, “Byakuya-sama, I am not ready to be married! I am still…trying to deal with what has happened in the war. What has happened with my powers. I…”

“I have to agree with Tetsuya,” Juushiro said, meeting Byakuya’s gaze calmly, “We are still in the aftermath of war. We haven’t begun to recover. We are not ready to be holding weddings and…”

“Nevertheless, you will be married this night,” Byakuya said sternly, “I will provide evidence of the resonance to the elders of my clan and I will send the information on to your clan and inform them of your binding. I would wait, if I had the choice, but I was warned when I became a leader that perfect resonances are a royal directive. I am expected to obey that directive and bind you in marriage immediately. To not do so would leave me vulnerable to arrest and trial by the royal court.”

“But…how can the court enforce the edict of a dead king?” Juushiro argued.

“According to Central 46 and Squad Zero, the king is not dead,” Byakuya answered sternly, “That means that the resonance the former king granted you and my cousin…is a matter of royal law. I am sorry. I do not want to carry out this order any more than you want to obey it, but none of us have a choice. When the sun sets tonight, I will marry you.”

“Kuchiki taicho!” Uryu called out, rushing to the closed bedroom door and knocking urgently, “Kuchiki taicho, please, I have to talk to you! It’s urgent!”

“It’s Uryu,” Kisuke observed, “It sounds like something’s going on we need to hear about.”

Byakuya walked back to the door and touched the privacy seal to make it dissipate. He opened the door and Uryu tumbled into the room with Ichigo a step behind.

“K-kuchiki taicho,” Uryu panted, working to catch his breath, “You need to know. The new quincy Kaiser knows the exact location of this camp…and h-he is on his way here to attack you!”


	9. Light of the Future

Byakuya stepped into the infirmary, where he spotted Michio leaning over Toshiro and placing a medical monitor over his still blind eyes. He moved to the healer’s side, watching as his work on the Gotei taicho continued. Toshiro blinked slowly and smiled up at the ceiling.

“Kuchiki,” he acknowledged his comrade.

“Yes,” Byakuya affirmed.

“He’s got a pretty impressive ability to recognize familiar reiatsu patterns and to sense people and things around him.”

“Have you found any reason why his vision has not returned?” Byakuya asked anxiously.

“Stop worrying so much, Kuchiki,” Toshiro chided him, “I know there are bigger things to worry about. We overheard some of the family guards talking about the quincy attack that’s coming.”

“I don’t want you to worry about that,” Byakuya said firmly, “We will keep you and everyone we are protecting here, safe, Toshiro.”

“You don’t have to worry about keeping me safe,” Toshiro said, frowning, “I’m going to be out there, fighting too.”

“You are not ready to be using your extended senses for fighting!” Byakuya objected instantly, “Toshiro, I am well aware of your impressive ability, but fighting with extended senses alone is not something you can do without extensive practice and guidance. It takes a large amount of control, and even when fully trained and prepared for battle, it is a dangerous thing, for a number of reasons.”

“I am not going to sit here and let those bastards hurt everyone here!” Toshiro shouted, sitting up and upsetting the monitor that had been covering his unseeing eyes, “Look, I get that you feel bad, because I got hurt protecting you. But this is a critical battle and I am going to be a part of it! Everyone here is helping, Byakuya. _Everyone_!”

“Yes, but not everyone is going to be involved in combat,” the noble countered, “You can surely help to provide strength to the barrier.”

“The _noble children_ are protecting the barrier!” Toshiro objected angrily, “I’m not a child! I’m a fighter, and I am going to be out there fighting with you and the rest of the family guards. You can’t order me not to. I’m a Gotei taicho too.”

Byakuya gave him a dumbfounded look, his heart pounding and a look of anguish overtaking his usually calm features. He took a steadying breath, noting as he did that the healer’s eyes were politely averted, so as not to see his momentary loss of composure.

“Michio, may I have a moment alone with Toshiro?” the noble requested.

“Of course, Byakuya-sama.” The elderly man said calmly, “I need to check in on Renji-san and Rikichi-san. They don’t seem to have any lingering issues, but I want to do a final check before clearing them to return to duty.”

“Of course,” Byakuya agreed, “I won’t be long.”

He waited as the healer left, then moved closer to sit down on the edge of the examination table as Toshiro sat up beside him.

“Byakuya…” Toshiro began.

“I am sorry,” the noble said contritely, shocking his comrade back into silence as his hand slipped into Toshiro’s and he continued, “I did not mean to insult you with my request for you to assist in the background. I know just how capable a fighter you are, and it is true that with the size of the oncoming offensive and the fact that our allies will need some time to reach us, we definitely need all of the fighters we can gather.”

Toshiro relaxed slightly and nodded, squeezing his comrade’s hand.

“It’s okay. I’m sorry I lost my temper. I just…I know that if there was time to devote to more training fighting blind like this, I would give it all I have. But the quincies aren’t going to wait. They are coming and they are going to be out to annihilate everyone here. Is it risky for me to fight? Yes. It is always dangerous to fight in battles, but sometimes it’s what you have to do. I know you know that, Kuchiki.”

“Yes,” Byakuya assured him, “I do. I am not saying that you are wrong to want to fight alongside the others. I am concerned that something unexpected will happen that will push you in ways you have not yet been trained to handle.”

“That can always happen in battle,” Toshiro said, more calmly, “And when it does, we improvise. We always have.”

“You are quite talented at improvisation,” Byakuya said, his lips curving upward very slightly, “Toshiro…”

Byakuya froze, staring, as Toshiro’s other hand rose and gently curved around his cheek. Spellbound, he watched as a little smile graced the younger taicho’s comely face.

“I think I understand why you’re being so overprotective of me,” Toshiro said, his fingers sliding along the side of Byakuya’s face as he spoke, “I’ve been feeling it coming from you ever since I used my completed bankai against the quincy, Gerard, and I’ve aged. I can feel you’re attracted to me.”

“Toshiro…” Byakuya said, trying in vain to untangle his tongue.

“It’s fine if you’re not ready to admit it,” Toshiro continued, smiling warmly at him, “You’ve lost people who were close to you, most especially, your father. He died in battle…a battle he should never have been in, right?”

Byakuya sucked in a stinging breath, his head spinning at the speed at which things were changing in front of him, and he managed a short nod.

“I…do not want you to become someone else I speak to every day, but who cannot answer me,” the noble confessed softly, “Toshiro, I do not know what I have to offer you. I do not know…”

He went silent as the younger man’s fingers touched his lips.

“It’s okay,” he assured Byakuya, “I’m still going to be out there, fighting beside you, but I will be extra careful and I will stay close to you. And when this battle is over and everyone is safe, we can talk about the rest of it. Just…please accept this as a promise of what is to come.”

Byakuya remained stock still and staring in surprise as Toshiro’s blind eyes closed and his mouth found the noble’s and offered him a chaste, but knee-weakening kiss. Byakuya tried, but couldn’t make his voice sound in response. He held tightly to Toshiro’s hand and slid his other arm around the younger man, engaging him in a longer kiss and hugging him tightly.

“V-very well,” he managed finally, his heart pounding, “Then, if you are going to fight using this method, there are a few more things we should do to prepare.”

XXXXXXXXXX

Tetsuya stood quietly in the dressing area of his quarters, waiting patiently as his attendant set the pieces of his house guard’s uniform in place. His blue eyes closed and opened again as his mind replayed the warm, sweet kisses that Juushiro had given him.

_There is no denying that there is something special between us. It is something beyond just an attraction, as is borne out by the discovery of our resonance. Things are happening so quickly! I do know in my heart that I am falling in love with Ukitake-sama, but to be married…_

_I just don’t think I’m ready._

_He knows I am not ready and he tried to tell Byakuya as much. He doesn’t understand why my cousin is still insisting we must marry as soon as we are past the coming battle. But I do understand. Byakuya-sama is not wanting to send me into a marriage of state. He knows very well what can happen to couples who are forced into such. But at the same time, I can see that he very much believes in the power of the bond that unites us, whether we are ready or not. Also, Byakuya can see that we are good for each other. My cousin is in terrible pain over his past decisions regarding me. He is doing his best. So, when the time comes, I will obey him and take Ukitake-sama as my husband…and for the first time, offer myself to him sexually._

_I just hope I can._

_The abuse I suffered has haunted me for over a hundred years. I have not been intimate with anyone in all of that time. I shiver at the thought of being touched that way. Ukitake-sama’s kisses are gentle, but sex is not a gentle act…or, at least, it hasn’t been for me. I don’t know. Maybe if someone really loves me, he can be gentle in taking me._

“Tetsuya-san, you look flushed,” his attendant observed, shocking Tetsuya out of his reverie, “Do you need the healer?”

“N-no, thank you, Koji,” Tetsuya stammered awkwardly, his heart skittering in his chest as Juushiro appeared in the doorway.

He swallowed hard, waiting as Koji left, then he remained standing in the dressing area as the white-haired taicho approached him and reached out to touch his face gently.

“Are you all right, _anata_?” he asked calmly, “Koji is right. You look flushed.”

“I am fine,” Tetsuya assured the elder man, his color darkening even more, “I was just…thinking about what we have to do…after the battle.”

“Yes,” Juushiro agreed, moving in close to him and sliding his arms around the younger man, “I’ve been thinking about that too. I know you aren’t ready, and, if it makes you feel any better, I think we should wait.”

“I know the resonance is strong,” Tetsuya said, nearly tripping over his words, “and I am very attracted to Ukitake-sama.”

“Juushiro,” the elder man said quietly, tracing Tetsuya’s soft lips with a light fingertip, “You shouldn’t be referring to the man you are about to marry, using such a formal title. We are engaged, even if it is to be a very short engagement before a hasty wedding.”

“I am very attracted to you, _Juushiro-sama_ ,” Tetsuya corrected himself, earning a sweet chuckle and an affectionate kiss from his intended.

“You are stubbornly self-effacing, aren’t you?” Juushiro laughed softly, “Fine, be formal about it. But, after we are wed, it is just Juushiro, all right?”

Tetsuya wasn’t sure how he managed to turn a darker pink as he nodded wordlessly and let himself be drawn in for several more intoxicatingly lovely kisses. For several minutes, the two men stood, holding each other and exchanging kisses.

“Well,” Juushiro said finally, pulling back slightly and smiling down at the slighter man, “I don’t know about you, but I am very much looking forward to going home. Your family has a lovely facility here, but I miss the Seireitei.”

“Except that much of the Seireitei lies in ruins,” Tetsuya said sadly.

“Don’t you worry about the buildings and gardens,” Juushiro said solemnly, “We will rebuild everything. I know your heart is broken because of the losses of so many lives, but wars deal that kind of damage, and it’s up to us to pick up the pieces and move on, don’t you think, _anata_? And healing? Well, that’s right up your alley. Your healing skills will be in high demand.”

“If I ever get them working again,” Tetsuya sighed, glancing at his weapon, where it rested in a sword stand near the bed, “My reiatsu is at full strength. I feel fine. I just…”

“You just need to relax and to trust yourself,” Juushiro said calmly, “Tetsuya, I know that you are confused and that so many things are happening, you can barely process them all. But, just know that you are surrounded by love. Byakuya loves you. You have family and friends who love you. And…even though we are only at the beginning of our intimacy, I do love you also.”

Tetsuya sucked in a sharp breath, shivering slightly at the impact of the words.

“And I…”

“Shh,” Juushiro said, shaking his head and pressing warm fingers to Tetsuya’s trembling lips, “You are not ready to make such a confession. It’s okay. I can wait. Remember, you are the one who gave me time so that I could wait for you to fall in love with me. I don’t care if everything else has to be rushed and this is the only thing we can control. Tetsuya, I want your confession of love to come from the heart and I want to hear it only when you are ready to say it. Do you understand?”

Relief flooded the younger man’s face and he sank into Juushiro’s arms, kissing him fervently.

“Ukitak-sa… _Juushiro-sama_!” he exclaimed softly.

Tetsuya wasn’t sure how they had gotten across the room so quickly. He only felt himself falling as they collapsed onto the bed and he spread his thighs to let the elder man rub against him while they continued kissing. He meant to comply quietly, but right away, he felt his insides tightening.

_This is what I was afraid of! Juushiro-sama is a kind and gentle person, but sex is not gentle. It is…sex is violent…isn’t it?_

There was a more hungry look in the white-haired man’s eyes and his hips pushed forward, grinding sensuously and spawning a like reaction in Tetsuya’s slender body and long deprived loins.

_W-wait!_

_This is…!_

He realized suddenly that Juushiro had stopped moving and was looking down into his rounded eyes, reading his shocked expression quietly. He pulled free of Tetsuya and sat up, leaving the fingers of one hand laced together with his distressed partner’s.

“It’s all right,” he assured the younger man, “I’m sorry for upsetting you. I told you that I understand you’re not ready for this to move forward so quickly. I apologize for offending you.”

He started to let go of Tetsuya’s hand, only to feel Tetsuya’s grip tighten as he sat up and nuzzled close to him.

“You could never offend me, Ukita…erm…Juushiro-sama,” Tetsuya assured him in a more collected voice, “I was just…scared for a moment by what I saw in your eyes.”

Juushiro gave him a regretful look.

“I know you were abused by your cousin, Orochi, during your imprisonment,” he acknowledged, “and that means that I will have to be careful with you. Just tell me when you feel afraid and I will always listen to you. I will always stop if you are uncomfortable. I know trust takes a while to build, Tetsuya, and we have to be married well before you’ll be ready to trust me with your body. Just know I would rather die than to ever hurt you. I will never hurt you, _Tetsu-koi_.”

Tetsuya gave him a weary smile and rested his head on Juushiro’s warm shoulder.

“I know you wouldn’t hurt me,” he assured the elder man, “My mind and my heart are sure of that. My body will learn not to react with fear, much as it did when Byakuya-sama trained me to fight. I know you will be patient with me.”

“Of course,” Juushiro agreed, kissing him and climbing to his feet, “But we need to go and meet with the others to make final plans for the defense of the encampment. Although, I must admit that it surprises me Byakuya wasn’t more resistant to having you out with the main forces.”

“You mean with my powers not working?” Tetsuya mused, “You don’t need to worry either. Powers or no powers, I will keep myself safe, and the fighters will need my help. They are accustomed to responding quickly to my directions during the battles, and I can still fight with sword and hakudo. Even though I can’t use even shikai, I can still thicken my reiatsu to kick harder and strike dangerously with my sword.”

“You are a wonder,” Juushiro said appreciatively, “Although I know you don’t enjoy fighting…”

“I won’t stand by and watch the quincies destroy my family, my friends and all of the innocent ones here.”

“And when we’re done with the fighting, you’ll be out there healing them.”

“I do hope so,” Tetusya sighed, “I suppose that it’s possible that being in the heat of the moment will give me the strength to overcome whatever is inhibiting me.”

“You’ve been through so much,” Juushiro said sympathetically, “and the worst is not yet over. But you are not going to be out there alone. I will stay near you.”

Tetsuya gave him a grateful smile.

“I’m glad. It will good to see Juushiro-sama’s powers returned to full strength. I don’t think I have ever seen you fight.”

“Well,” Juushiro chuckled, glancing at his blade, “I’ll have to introduce you to my sword spirits later. They’ve been pretty rambunctious since being brought back from the brink. I know they’re really thankful that you came along and were able to help us.”

Tetsuya looked up at him curiously.

“They are child spirits, aren’t they?” he asked, “Byakuya-sama mentioned it to me before.”

“They are child spirits,” Juushiro confimed, “It’s a reminder to me of who I always want to protect. You know, from being a child who was not protected, just how important it is to protect our innocent ones.”

He noticed then the little blush that had returned to Tetsuya’s face and throat.

“What is it?” he asked, smiling.

“Oh, it is just that I was thinking…”

Tetsuya trailed off, his heart pounding and the flush on his face darkening.

“What were you thinking?” Juushiro asked, cupping a hand around Tetsuya’s soft cheek.

“Ah…I was thinking that…J-juushiro-sama…”

He paused again and took a steadying breath.

“I think Juuhsiro-sama will be a wonderful father,” he managed finally.

The elder man’s smile seemed to warm Tetsuya to the core.

“I think, when you’re ready for that, you will be too.”


	10. The Enemy at the Gates

Uryu left his bed and walked to the dressing area of the sleeping quarters he shared with Ichigo, wondering briefly where his energetic friend had gone.

 _Friend, yes_ , he admitted inwardly, _and now, my lover. I didn’t plan on something like that happening, but then, the unexpected is par for the course around Ichigo. There isn’t a rule he doesn’t break, is there? There’s nothing that stops him when he wants something. He fights until it happens the way he wants it. Not that he’s being selfish. Ichigo’s always thinking about protecting the people he loves. I don’t have the strength that Ichigo has, nor the good luck to have things work out my way._

He sighed softly and let his yukata slide down off of his shoulders and slip to the floor. His blue eyes studied the reflection of his body that wore the healing cuts and bruises from the war and what came after.

_Only, a lot of the damage done to me in the war was erased when Haschwald convinced me to let him take on the injuries he had given me. I wonder of any of the Sternritters are still alive or if the last Auswhalen finished them. I guess, even if they’re alive right now, they’ll die soon. I don’t feel comfortable asking about them. I think Byakuya might understand if I did, but…my comrades killed a lot of shinigamis. That they are welcoming me here is already a lot to ask._

He looked more closely at the bruises on his face that the angry shinigamis within the encampment had given him.

_For some of the survivors here, it is too much. I understood their feelings when they were holding me down and hitting me. I wasn’t afraid. My blut protected me from real damage, and I suppose those guys needed to let their rage out. Not that I’d let it happen again. The situation just took me by surprise and I couldn’t react at first. Then, I felt like I deserved it. I guess I don’t feel that way now, but I can’t help being ambivalent. I don’t hate being a quincy, like my father does. I don’t hate the shinigamis like Ywach and the Sternritters did. I think the genocide brought by both sides was wrong. I want the killing to stop and I want it to stop for good._

_Was I stupid to not want to be king? To abdicate? It’s not like it was a snap decision, but…_

Uryu froze as warm arms curled around his naked body from behind and Ichigo’s breath tickled his ear and the side of his neck, making the pale skin blush.

“Are you back in your head again?” Ichigo scolded him.

Uryu shivered inside at how even the reprimand was delivered with such warmth and affection that he couldn’t be angry. He couldn’t summon the emotion for a nasty reply.

“Yeah.”

“Wanna talk about it?”

Uryu sucked in a shaky breath.

“I don’t know what to say. Ichigo, you know that this encampment is facing. Even though the Sternritters are gone, the new leader is bringing everything he has against the Kuchiki family because he knows if he can slaughter the greatest noble clan’s women and children, if he can shatter their strength, then it will make the other clans fear the quincies.”

He closed his eyes, shivering hard at the thought of what could happen. He barely felt the warm, comforting kiss his lover placed on the back of his neck or the fingers that laced gently together with his.

“All I can think is that I let this happen, Ichigo,” Uryu confessed.

“What?” the ginger-haired man objected, scowling, “Uryu, what the heck are you talking about? You didn’t let anything happen.”

“Of course I did!” Uryu insisted, “I was Ywach’s chosen successor! I had every right…no, I had an _obligation_ to go into the shadows and to make sure that people were taken care of. That peace was made with the shinigamis. I should have been doing that, but instead, I abdicated. I abandoned them, Ichigo.”

“Bullshit!” Ichigo exclaimed, turning his lover to face him, “Uryu, you had no obligation. Those people don’t even know you! They didn’t choose you to lead them. And don’t fucking forget who did choose you.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” the quincy youth snapped, “You think I’m not up to being king? You think I’m not strong enough? You know, I still have my goddamned Volstandig! I can show you just how strong I am, if you really want to question it!”

“Calm the fuck down!” Ichigo said hotly, “I wasn’t even saying you’re not strong enough. I know how powerful you are. Ywach wouldn’t have chosen you if he didn’t think you were strong enough.”

“He knew I was strong enough, all right,” Uryu mused, his body shaking softly with anger at the memory that rose up in his mind, “He knew that I had enough ability to challenge him, and that he couldn’t steal my power like he could everyone else’s. And…he knew just what he had to do to control that threat. Ywach was a lot of things, but he wasn’t stupid. He purposely made me his successor, because he _knew_ that the Sternritters would instantly dislike an _outsider_ coming in and being given a place so close to their king. I could oppose Ywach, but I wasn’t strong enough to beat all of them. I had to step into that trap to be in a position to save everyone, and Ywach knew it.”

He noticed suddenly how quickly the anger had faded from his lover’s powerful, golden brown eyes.

“It must’ve been pretty tough, being all alone and knowing all of them were watching you so closely. I knew when you acted so shitty to me, you didn’t mean it. I was pissed, but I knew you would never really join them.”

“But, I did,” Uryu sighed, “And I watched while the shinigamis were slaughtered in front of me. I did nothing to stop the carnage. It was what I had to do, but tell that to the people here who lost their families, Ichigo. Tell that to the kids _right here in this camp_ , whose parents aren’t coming home that it’s _okay_ , in any way to stand by and let a genocide happen! It wasn’t right when the shinigamis killed us, and it isn’t right for us to kill them. I just…I want it to stop, Ichigo, but I don’t know how to stop it. Maybe, if I had gone to them…”

“Stop it,” Ichigo said firmly, squeezing him tightly and stopping his objections with a scathing kiss, “Those people who died were going to die anyway. It wasn’t in your power to stop him any sooner, so there wasn’t a chance to save them. You saved the ones you could. The people here saw how powerful Ywach and the Sternritters were. They watched as their taichos fell, one by one. Byakuya, Kenpachi, the old man, Yammamoto. If the strongest of the taichos couldn’t stop Ywach and his Sternritters, then how could you be expected to stop them? Don’t do this to yourself, okay? Stop beating up on yourself. You got close to Ywach and you acted when you could. And if you are feeling guilty, what kinda guilt do you think I’d have to be feeling. The shinigamis were depending on me to protect them.”

“At least they had powerful people to try to defend them,” Uryu sighed, “When Ywach turned on the noble lords, he slaughtered the ones who would have protected the civilians and gave power to people loyal only to him. There was chaos over there after Ywach fell, Ichigo. I was listening in. Kaiser Nacht took full advantage of that. He gathered the noble heirs and convinced them that the only way to survive was to combine their strength and name him their leader. Now, he has the noble families under his thumb. What’s left of our fighters are all coming here. They’ll even bring boys and girls barely grown, just to have greater numbers for the purpose of intimidation. This battle is going to be ugly and it’s going to pit the survivors against each other. I don’t know how to stop it.”

“What makes you think that one person can?” Ichigo asked pointedly, “Uryu, whether you know it or not, you’re not the only one who realizes that this battle shouldn’t happen. Byakuya is smart and he cares about what happens, not just now, but in the future. He’s not going to be thinking that annihilation is the only answer here. He’s going to be trying to negotiate peace, because he knows both sides have suffered in this war. The shinigamis were killed in huge numbers and the quincies were completely betrayed by their king. That’s not lost on him.”

Uryu bit his lip gently, considering his friend’s words.

“I just hope that he can make the quincies who come here listen. Nacht wants a battle. He needs to crush Byakuya and his entire family here, and he’s betting everything on that, because he needs something to make the people think he’s indispensable. What better than defeating the strongest of the noble families?”

“And the bastard doesn’t care that both sides will probably lose a lot of people,” Ichigo said in a disgusted tone. Sick!”

Uryu gathered himself and gave Ichigo a determined look.

“Well, I may not have done the right thing when the war ended. I let Nacht take control, thinking that the noble heirs would gather and do the right thing to make peace for everyone. But, I will think of something I can do now.”

“You have an idea?” Ichigo asked, studying him more closely.

“I think so,” Uryu posited, “But…I think I’ll need you to help me pull this off.”

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya stood on a small rise with Juushiro and Tetsuya on his left and Kuchiki Nori, Toshiro, Renji and Rikichi on his right. He nodded in Tetsuya’s direction.

“Has Arashi spotted anyone outside the barrier yet, Tetsuya?” he asked quietly.

“No, Byakuya-sama,” his cousin answered, “However, he can feel their power massing in the area. The hard part will be figuring out exactly where they will break through. Arashi must be careful that he is not stricken if they use the energy portals they used in the first Sternritter attack. As you’ll remember, one of those hitting us is almost certain death.”

“Thank goodness they can’t simply appear inside the barrier,” Juushiro noted in a relieved tone.

“Officer Nanao was astute enough to share an additional buffer we could place on the barrier to keep them from being able to break inside as they broke inside the shakonmaku at the beginning of the war,” Byakuya explained.

“Good thing,” Renji sighed, his eyes darkening as he remembered, We lost a lot of guys who were just vaporized by those things.”

“Perhaps Tetsuya should have his Arashi return to the encampment,” Nori suggested in a concerned tone.

“It’s all right,” Tetsuya assured the anxious elder, “He set rescue forms within the encampment and unlike the power that the quincies will be using, Arashi’s ability is recognized, and will allow him to pass through the barrier if he is stricken by their portals or by their arrows. Arashi will be fine.”

“It’s good we have him out there, reconnoitering for us,” Toshiro said appreciatively.

“We do want to know exactly where they break through,” Byakuya agreed, “Arashi’s waterforms will allow him to spy on them as they arrive, and he will be able to give us critical information about their numbers and the general pattern of deployment.”

“Additionally, some of the waterforms that Arashi left can be used to send fighters out strategically, so they may be able to take the quincies by surprise by appearing when and where they are not expected,” Tetsuya added.

“The older children are at the barrier with the elder guard,” Nori reported, “We’ll bring them in if the barrier shows any signs of weakening.”

“Toshiro,” Byakuya said solemnly, “I want you to stay with me. We will lead the advance guard to meet the quincy troops head on.”

The others gave Byakuya a questioning look that was promptly ignored.

“Renji, you and Rikichi will lead the Squad Six soldiers who are here. Tetsuya and Juushiro, I want you ready to use Arashi’s waterforms to move wherever you need to go to protect the barrier. That…”

Byakuya paused at the sound of a flash step. Ichigo appeared suddenly in front of the noble, with Uryu at his side. The clan leader met their eyes silently, waiting.

“Byakuya,” Ichigo said, stepping forward, “look, Uryu and I have been talking and we think Uryu should make himself visible to the enemy.”

He held up a staying hand as the noble started to object.

“I cannot guarantee…”

“Yeah,” Ichigo interrupted, “we know that it’ll put him in danger, but he may be able to get the quincy forces to halt the attack, if they don’t start attacking right away.”

“Kuchiki-san,” Uryu addressed the noble, “I know that there is great danger in fighting this battle. Neither side is going to benefit really. It’s all to make the Kaiser Nacht look strong. He doesn’t care that a lot of people will die. He needs a victory.”

“And what exactly makes you think for a moment that he will listen to you?” Byakuya inquired, not unkindly, “You are known to have fired the shot that gave Ichigo a chance to kill Ywach.”

“These are _noble_ sons and daughters!” Uryu argued, “You know what that means. They hated Ywach, because he murdered their parents and stole their lands. They’re only following Nacht because he restored their titles and lands He’s manipulating them!”

“And you think you can convince them of this? Standing in between the shinigamis, who you helped to defeat your own people?”

“I helped to stop a war!” Uryu insisted, his blue eyes flashing, “I fired an arrow to stop more people from dying. I don’t know if I can convince them to stop, but, can’t you see? I have to try! They’ve already suffered under Ywach. Nacht is going to bring down our whole society! Maybe that doesn’t mean so much to you, but…”

He paused at the odd look Byakuya gave him.

“Ishida Uryu, I am curious,” he said softly, “Why does their fate mean so much to you? I am aware of the assistance that you and your father gave Ichigo in his fight with Ywach. Clearly, you did not want him to win. But you were helping because the three worlds were in danger of ending, were you not? Why, now, are you concerning yourself with a society that both you and your father turned your backs on?”

“That’s a little harsh, isn’t it?” Ichigo snapped defensively, “I hope you haven’t forgotten what Kurotsuchi Mayuri did to this guys’ grandfather. It’s a pretty damned big deal that he helped us at all. I think we should let him help us now. If we just start killing each other, we all lose! Don’t you get that, Byakuya?”

“Of course I do,” Byakuya answered, nodding briefly, “Look at the children who are there, just a few feet from where the fighting will be if it happens. If the barrier falls, they will have moments to run. Those children are the future of the clan. Their fates are the fate of us all. So, if you think that there is any chance to stop this fight before it begins, you are welcome to attempt to speak to the Kaiser when he appears. Just understand that I cannot guarantee your safety from the weapons of either side. I will inform the elders and fighters about what you are doing, but I would suggest you allow Ichigo to go with you to discourage both sides from attacking you while you attempt to negotiate.”

“Why don’t you allow Tetsuya and me to go with them?” Juushiro offered suddenly, making all eyes turn towards him in surprise.

“You and…?” Byakuya began.

“The reasoning is simple,” Juushiro said calmly, “With Shunsuileading cleanup efforts elsewhere, I am the most senior Gotei officer present. I am also prepared to speak on behalf of the shinigamis and I have clearance to draft treaties for our leadership to consider. There is every reason to indicate to the quincies that we are willing to talk instead of fight. You’ve already indicated that you view fighting as a last resort, so what you need is capable diplomacy.”

“I agree that it would be good to have Ukitake-san with me,” Uryu suggested, “The information that Ywach gave me regarding him made it plain that he is a reasonable person and one who can be trusted to negotiate sensibly. And Nacht will understand that if the leadership of the shingiamis is appearing alongside me, they are serious about avoiding further bloodshed.”

“Of course, he could just read it as a sign that the encampment is weak and it might encourage him to attack anyway,” Renji said, frowning, “Not to be pessimistic or anything.”

“I think we know that such a thing is possible,” Byakuya agreed, “It is not so much pessimism as realism. We need to be prepared for anything.”

“That is where Tetsuya comes in,” Juushiro posited.

“But my cousin is still not able to use his powers,” Byakuya argued, “How is he to assist if things turn violent?”

“Tetsuya still has the ability to harden or soften his reiatsu,” Juushiro asserted, “He can fight with hakudo and sword if necessary. And what he also has is a direct connection with Arashi. If things go wrong, Tetsuya can call on Arashi to assist us in retreating safely, using his waterforms.”

“The same thing could be accomplished without risking Tetsuya, if we just have you take Arashi with you.”

“Ah, but then we would lose the chance that we could have to take the Kaiser down if he becomes violent,” the white-haired taicho suggested, “If Nacht attacks, we can position Arashi to intercept him!”

“It’s a good strategy,” Tetsuya agreed, “I promise you, I will remain close to Juushiro-sama and allow him to protect me.”

“Not to be rude,” Byakuya said, frowning, “but what is the state of your battle readiness, Ukitake taicho?”

“Well, believe if or not, I have a completely clean bill of health, and it seems that with my reiatsu fully restored, my shikai is solid and I am strong enough to raise my bankai, if it should be needed.”

Byakuya looked from Juushiro’s proud expression to his cousin’s slightly flushed face.

“That is a welcome surprise,” he said with sincere warmth, “I know what the healers have been telling me about you, but it is…fascinating to see it in front of me.”

He nodded appreciatively in his cousin’s direction.

“When thus battle ends, I want the two of you to come back to Kuchiki Manor with me,” Byakuya decided, “I want to look into some references regarding powerful healing gifts. I want to see exactly what the appearance of Tetsuya’s healing ability means.”

“Whoa,” Ichigo said softly, staring out past the barrier, where the forest had turned misty and the air had darkened ominously, “I think that stuff’s gonna have to wait. The quincies are coming now!”


	11. Divine Deflection

The gathered shinigamis stood within the protection of the heavy barrier, watching through wary eyes as a tall, muscular man with ruggedly cut black hair and deep midnight eyes stepped out ahead of the arriving quincies, guarded on both sides by white clad quincy archers. He stopped short of the barrier, looking up at the men who waited inside it. Anger flared in his dark orbs as he spotted Uryu stepping out ahead of the group and approaching the barrier, protected on one side by Ichigo and Byakuya, and on the other by Ukitake and a younger, black-haired man he didn’t recognize. He waited as the group passed through the barrier, displaying a white flag.

“Do not attack them,” the quincy ordered his troops, “Wait for my command.”

He turned his attention to the group approaching and spotted the aged Kuchiki Nori behind the advance guard, as well as a white-haired man he recognized as the tenth division taicho. The group came to a stop in front of him.

“Well,” the quincy leader said mockingly, “if it isn’t the blood traitor, Ishida Uryu. Did you come to stab me in the back too, would-be king?”

“I came for the same reason that I fired the arrow that set Ywach up to die,” Uryu said calmly, “I want to stop the fighting. But, you know that, don’t you? You know it, but you also know that if you want to seize control, you have to secure a win against the shinigamis right away. That’s why you’ve come here, isn’t it, Nacht?”

“I came here to make the shinigamis pay for the lives they took during the war!” Nacht snapped, “For the damage they did to our homes and our lands when they switched places. There is no way that we can let them get away with what they’ve done!”

“With what _they’ve_ done?” Uryu repeated, scowling and shaking his head, “The only thing that the shinigamis have done in this war is to defend themselves and their king against Ywach’s plans to destroy the three worlds. You want to complain about _our_ losses?”

He turned his attention to the hundreds of quincies, who waited in Nacht’s wake.

“We lost hundreds, yes, but Ywach and the Sternritters took tens of thousands of shingami lives! They destroyed buildings, but as they defended themselves against a genocide. We all know what genocide looks like, and we also know they can’t be blamed for the cost of just trying to stay alive. Like it or not, we attacked them.”

If we did attack them, it was only a continuation of the atrocities they committed upon us!” Nacht roared, “You were not yet born when the shinigamis hunted down and murdered as many of us as they could find! Men, even women and children were slaughtered as they ran from those heartless monsters! The hatred of the shinigamis is a poison in the blood of all of the shinigamis. One and all, they must be purged…and we will begin here!”

Uryu stepped forward, looking squarely into Nacht’s enraged eyes as he continued.

“Isarno,” he addressed the man more quietly, “Like me, you are a noble son from a respected family. You, of all people should know that it isn’t the shinigamis who have most recently damaged our noble families. The one who did that was Ywach. He personally took the lives of _every noble lord_ and thousands of their family members. More quincy lives were taken than at any time since the shinigami genocide.”

Nacht shook his head firmly, brushing off the words.

“That only added him to our list of enemies,” he insisted heatedly, “Now that he is gone, we can gather ourselves and push back against the shinigami tyranny!”

“Are you listening to yourself?” Uryu demanded, his fists clenching.

He turned his attention once more to the thousands gathered behind the quincy Kaiser.

“Most of the shinigamis weren’t even aware that there were still quincies hidden in the shadows!” he snapped furiously, “They wouldn’t have killed any of us or destroyed anything if Ywach hadn’t ordered the attack against us! There is no disputing that.”

“I am not disputing that portion of what you are saying,” Nacht replied, “It is true that Ywach killed the noble leaders and that he perpetrated the war on the shinigamis, but the war he started was only really a conclusion to the genocide from before.”

“That’s not true!” Uryu snapped fiercely, “I was with Ywach during the war, and he didn’t give a damn about avenging the quincies killed in the genocide before! He was in it to take over everything. He wanted to recreate the worlds and fill them with souls that he could pit against each other and manipulate into fighting and killing, so that he would have an endless supply of souls to eat! The man was a _monster_. The shinigamis have nothing to do with the damage caused to us in this war. They were only defending themselves, and the one who caused most of the damage to us was not them, but Ywach!”

“Be that as it may,” Nacht said in a low, angry voice, “you have to realize that when Ywach made his move, he alerted the shinigamis to our continued existence and our location. If we do not act now, they will certainly retaliate for his actions against them!”

Uryu started to answer, but paused as Juushiro stepped forward. His green eyes met Nacht’s with a serious, but peaceful intent.

“Kaiser Nacht,” he addressed the quincy leader, “my apologies for interrupting, but I may be of some assistance in addressing your concerns about the current situation. I am Ukitake Juushiro, tai-“

“I know who you are, Ukitake Juushiro,” Nacht said condescendingly, “and there is nothing you can say that will stop what is about to happen to this encampment.”

“Oh, come now,” Juushiro said, shaking his head, “I think all of us here are aware that there is nothing for the shinigamis or the quincies to gain from an attack on this encampment. We have all just endured a very damaging war, and our focus should be on setting terms for the peaceful interaction of our nations, so that we can pick up the pieces and move on from this. You know very well that our people did not initiate this war, nor do we have any incentive now to continue it. You know as well that your own people are reeling. You’ve admitted that Ywach slaughtered the noble lords and most of their families and he is also responsible for the switching of our lands so that yours was damaged as badly as ours. Clearly, the best course of action for all of us involved is to broker a peace agreement. With the Seireitei in ruins and Central 46 being currently inactive, we are under martial law, giving me, as the Gotei 13’s official ambassador, the responsibility to procure that peace agreement.”

“You say you want peace?” Nacht answered mockingly, “You think I don’t know what your idea of peace is?”

He paused, studying the others in the group in front of him.

“Most of your comrades, here, weren’t around when the genocide took place,” he continued more quietly, “I was but a child. Still…you were there, weren’t you, Ukitake Juushiro? You, and maybe that relic of the Kuchiki family back behind you. The two of you know how the shinigamis stalked our families, how they attacked and killed us with the intent of murdering us all! You know the viciousness with which they saw to their task.”

“I do remember the genocide,” Juushiro admitted, “Granted, I was much younger then, and I had not the power I have now to do very much about it. I opposed the genocide, but I was in the military and we were under orders from Central 46 to kill the quincies before they upset the balance of souls and destroyed our worlds. As I recall, our leaders did try first to make an agreement with the quincies, but the quincies refused to halt their activities that were causing and exacerbating the imbalance.”

“We wouldn’t stop killing hollows, because they were attacking and killing us!” Nacht seethed, “Shouldn’t we be allowed to fight back? Should we just let the hollows murder us?”

“That is not what I am suggesting at all,” Juushiro said evenly, “And I am sure that you are aware that the hollows have also taken horrible damage in this war, setting the worlds even closer to a dangerous imbalance. We need to act right now to preserve shinigami and quincy lives and to shore up the protections that keep our worlds stable. No one benefits if the imbalance causes our worlds to crumble.”

“Don’t you worry about that,” Nacht said slyly, “We have plans for that, and they don’t include any need for agreements with your murderous people. You are right, Ukitake. There have been a lot of hollows killed in the war, as well as a lot of shinigamis. I think the hollows have been killed in even greater numbers than your own people. Now…isn’t it true that one of your own scientists has remedied the situation by killing a certain number of innocent civilian souls? The answer, then, is simple. If we want to restore the balance, we can do that by slaughtering every man, every woman and every child in this encampment. The balance should be restored then, right?”

“That is insane,” Juushiro said, his eyes darkening and his face taking on a more stern look, although his body and reiatsu remained calm, “Turn back from this. I am warning you. We are well prepared to defend ourselves, and if you attack us,”

“Is that so?” Nacht replied, closing his eyes for a moment, then opening them and glancing around him as sounds of quincy hirenyaku filled the air and the area behind the quincy Kaiser filled with even larger numbers of quincy archers, “I have brought well over a thousand quincy fighters, and this encampment most likely holds no more than half that number. Add to that, you have a lot of wounded that we know were brought here. You are outnumbered, and if you gamble, making a stand, you will only lose. But, what happens next is not in your hands. It is in ours.”

“You do have the means to attack us,” Juushiro said in a dead calm voice, but you will not win. As I said, we are well prepared for a siege, and we have reinforcements on the way. We will not be outnumbered for long.”

Nacht’s smile widened wickedly.

“We will not need long to kill all of you,” he warned the white-haired taichou, “As you see, we have plenty of firepower.”

Juushiro’s eyes narrowed as he studied the archers in front of him.

“Some of these people are barely more than children,” he observed darkly.

“The ones over there, manning your barrier, _are_ children,” Nacht answered unrepentantly, “This is what you do when your existence is threatened.”

“Your existence is not threatened by us,” Juushiro persisted, “We are in no condition to begin a military campaign against you.”

“So, you must be squashed while you are still weak!” Nacht said, motioning to the archers, who raised their bows threateningly, “We have done enough talking. You have thirty seconds, after which we are going to annihilate all of you!”

“Think about what you are doing,” Juushirocalled out as the quincy leader turned, “The past has not been kind to the quincies. Your society was devastated, first by the conflict between us, then by your own leader, and finally, by this war. The losses here could be catastrophic!”

Nacht paused for a moment, glancing back over his shoulder and glaring at the white-haired taichou.

“We are already pushed to the brink,” he said in a deep, ominous rumble, “but we are about to push back. Go now, if you don’t want to be killed where you stand!”

“His intentions are clear,” Byakuya said sternly, “We must assume they are going to attack as they have threatened. Come, we must retreat behind the barrier!”

The group began to back away, but as they moved together, Tetsuya felt a touch on his wrist.

“Can Arashi provide us with waterforms?” Juushiro breathed in Tetsuya’s ear.

Tetsuya nodded barely perceptibly.

“Have him cover us as the others pass through the barrier,” the elder man directed him.

“What are you going to do?” Tetsuya whispered, continuing to move with Juushiro.

“I am going to stop children from being involved in this conflict. We have children at the barrier, and they have children in their ranks. I am not going to allow the slaughter of children, ours or theirs!”

“How can I help?” Tetsuya inquired.

“Have Arashi provide us with a waterform to conceal us. When the quincies attack the barrier, I am going to play a little trick on them.”

Tetsuya’s eyes widened.

“But….there are over a thousand of them?” he objected, “How are you going to stop them without hurting anyone or being killed, yourself? To attack, you must shatter the waterform and become visible!”

“Don’t you worry about that,” Juushiro assured him, “I have a plan. Just stay close to me and be ready to treat any wounded if something goes awry.”

Tetsuya looked up into the elder man’s eyes uncertainly, earning a gentle smile in reply.

“Don’t worry, _anata_. Because of you, I am able to do something I could not before. Please trust me and stand ready. If this fails, please have Arashi pull us out of harm’s way.”

“I will,” Tetsuya answered, pressing closer to Juushiro as they reached the barrier and the others passed through.

Juushiro came to a stop as Arashi’s power activated, making his and Tetsuya’s bodies fade and disappear. A moment later, Juushiro’s voice sounded loudly, as though amplified and directed back at the quincies.

“This is your final warning,” he announced, “If you continue in this attempt to attack us, we will be forced to incapacitate you!”

On the other side of the barrier, Byakuya and the others skidded to a stop, staring in surprise as Juushiro’s voice continued its dire warning.

“What the hell?” Uryu hissed, his hands clenching, “What is he doing?”

“Where are they?” Nori mused, exchanging glances with Byakuya.

Byakuya gave a sharp inhale.

“A waterform!” he breathed worriedly.

“But I thought that your cousin didn’t have any powers right now,” Toshiro remembered, “How can he…?”

“It is not Tetsuya, actually,” Byakuya explained quickly, “Arashi shares Tetsuya’s ability and right now, he still has his powers. He is using them to hide Ukitake taichou and Tetsuya! However, they must avoid direct light or the waterforms will fail.”

“That’s insane!” Uryu said, shaking his head, “There are over a thousand fighters out there! They are going to be found and killed!”

“Hmm,” Nori mused, studying the area in front of them, “It is a dangerous gamble.”

“It’s doesn’t look to me like it’s accomplishing anything either,” Uryu said anxiously, “Look, the archers are preparing to fire at the barrier.”

“Are you sure the barrier will hold, Byakuya?” Nori asked, moving forward.

“Let’s add our strength,” Byakuya suggested, “and we should hope that whatever plan Ukitake has, works.”

The group moved forward, gathering their reiatsu around their hands and infusing the heavy barrier with it as the quincies outside took aim and raised their power until the area hummed with it and bright white light made the environs glow frighteningly.

“It’s lighting the waterforms!” Byakuya gasped, staring.

“Oh my god!” Uryu exclaimed, his face going white.

The group at the barrier watched breathlessly as Nacht fired a single, huge arrow that blazed across the distance.

“All waves, rise now and become my shield,” Ukitake’s voice intoned, hissing and echoing eerily, “Lightning, strike now and become my blade.”

Before the others’ stunned eyes, the white-haired taichou appeared in front of them with Tetsuya at his side. Neither man moved to escape as the huge arrow closed in on them and Nacht’s laughter filled the air.

But the laughter stopped a moment later as Juushiro’s slender arm extended and his sword swallowed up the quincy power, then fired it back at the quincy leader with blinding speed and accuracy. Nacht and all of the quincy fighters protecting him were forced to dive out of the way as the blast sank into the ground, sending earth exploding in all directions, distorting the view for the rest of the archers.

“You made a dreadful mistake, attacking us like that,” Juushiro’s calm voice chided, “or didn’t you remember my power?”

“You shouldn’t even be alive!” Nacht snapped scathingly, “We were given reports that claimed you had died.”

“Well, I did come pretty close,” Juushiro said, giving Tetsuya a little wink, “but a very gifted healer was able to save me. Not only that, he enabled me to use a power I could not while my disease afflicted me.”

“And what power is that, you bastard?” Nacht seethed, “Whatever it is, it isn’t going to save you from the hell about to rain down on you.”

Nacht raised his hand and the quincy archers took aim again.

“You may have been able to stop one giant arrow, but even you can’t stop the full fury of the entire quincy army firing on you!”

“Are you so sure?” Juushiro asked calmly, “I’m warning you that I do have a power that can stop your attack. I will do my best not to make it lethal. Maybe once you see, you will understand why it is that it’s better for you to leave us alone.”

“You’re bluffing!” Nacht accused him, “No one man can turn back all of that power. You and that Kuchiki beside you are going to die!”

Juushiro turned an eye onto Tetsuya.

“I am going to have to use a power that will drain you a bit,” he warned the younger man, “But you have a divine power, so the reiatsu in your body will be sufficient to manage it.”

“I cannot use my power,” Tetsuya whispered back, “Juushiro-sama…!”

“You can’t, but the fact that the reiatsu is there, even though you can’t use it means that it can still be used. As closely as we are bonded, I believe I can access that power to attract and capture every quincy arrow!”

“You can…?”

Juushiro smiled and nodded and raised his weapon as the quincy archers loosed their arrows. An ocean of white soared across the space between them as the encampment’s protectors watched from within the barrier. Juushiro’s voice rose up a final time, shocking shinigamis and quincies alike with his words.

“ _Ban kai, Kami no Yaiba, Sogyo no Kotowari_!”


	12. The White Samurai

“Bankai, Kami no Yaiba, Sogyo no Kotowari.”

The fighters behind the barrier watched in silent wonder as blazing white reiatsu erupted around the two lone warriors who stood between them and the vast quincy killing force. Within moments, the light became blinding and those watching on both sides were forced to cover their eyes as Ukitake Juushiro’s full power came to life. From within the roaring maelstrom, the white-haired taichou’s voice continued to sound, recounting the simple facts of the ability that the quincies were now facing.

_The base power of Sogyo no Kotowari is the ability to steal the power of an enemy attack and to both amplify its power and return it to its source. The power enters through the left sword, where the hanging charms on the chain increase the speed and pressure to enhance the attack before it is returned. This happens so quickly that it is barely perceivable as being, not my own attack, but my enemy’s, which has been turned back._

_My bankai, Kami no Yaiba, allows me to absorb the attacks of many enemies at once, and to direct the returned power with the force of my will. I can choose for the attack to induce unconsciousness, injury or death. But…what you see before you is Sogyo no Kotowari’s true form. And I must admit that before Tetsuya healed me, I was never able to accomplish it outside my inner world. This ultimate form requires a connection with a person to whom I am deeply bonded. This person becomes the shield that draws in the enemies’ attacks and forces that power through the chain that binds us, and into my body. My body then becomes the sword…a godly sword more than capable of channeling all of the power you have sent and turning it back on you in what way I decide. I promise you that I will hold back from killing you, but if, after seeing, you do not leave, I will be forced to inflict fatal damage on any who attempt to harm the ones being protected here!_

Within the cloud of whiteness, Tetsuya felt his body shatter into tiny particles that spread out and attached to Juushiro’s tall body like an angel’s white wings. The bright, icy white wings spread out along the length and breadth of the barrier, covering it completely as the arrows fired by the quincy archers hissed through the air to make their strike. Juushiro’s slender form seemed to swell and grow until it resembled a huge white statue with a red chain that attached his heart to the set of wings on his back. The sword in the statue’s left hand flashed, turning the quincy arrows in their paths and swallowing them up. Their dread power seeped into the statue’s white wings, making them glow ominously as every last arrow was swiftly absorbed. Nacht’s dark eyes widened as the sword in Juushiro’s right hand took on the same warning glow, then a moment later, unleashed the concentrated power of the quincy attack back onto the enemy.

The roar of the returned attack was deafening, and the strike sent a shock wave that dropped the quincies instantly where they stood, all except Nacht, who the white-haired taichou’s power curved around, and every last child fighter that the quincy leader had drafted for the battle. As the dread glare receded, Nacht and the quincy youths were left standing amidst a sea of collapsed and unconscious quincy warriors.

As both sides breathlessly watched, the statue form cracked loudly and shattered, releasing the two shinigamis from within. Juushiro staggered slightly, then captured Tetsuya as he began to fall. He lifted his unconscious partner into his arms and smiled down at him gratefully.

“Thank you, Tetsuya, both for saving my life and for allowing me to protect all of the innocent ones here. I felt in my heart that you were the one always meant to be a part of my greatest ability, and you have shown me beyond doubt that I was right about that.”

His green eyes darkened and grew stern as they rose to meet those of the stunned quincy Kaiser. Nacht glared back at him hatefully, but said nothing as Juushiro stepped forward.

“Do you understand now?” the shinigami taichou asked calmly, “Despite having greater numbers, you do not have the power to harm us. Take those children and go back into the shadows. Do not threaten us again.”

“It does not end here, Ukitake,” the quincy leader seethed, “You will come to regret holding back, because when we return, we will destroy you!”

Juushiro stood quietly, holding Tetsuya against his chest and giving him a kiss on the forehead as the entrance to the shadows opened and the unharmed youths began to drag their unconscious comrades inside.

Within the protection of the barrier, the fighters looked to Byakuya in askance.

“Allow them to leave,” he said solemnly, “Despite the fact they have a large number of unconscious fighters, we have no idea what would be waiting in the shadows. We have already lost too many fighters in this war to be throwing away lives recklessly.”

“I don’t know about you,” Ichigo said, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck, “but I don’t think they’re going to be charging back in here anytime soon.”

Uryu turned to Byakuya, giving him a regretful look.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to convince my kinsman to back down. I will understand if you think it would be better for me to go now. I’ve already overstayed my welcome.”

Byakuya and Nori exchanged glances.

“Oh, I don’t think that’s true at all, my boy,” Nori assured him, “All of us here saw how you tried to talk him out of attacking.”

“And when he refused to back down, you stood with us,” Byakuya added, “You are clearly an ally. Everyone here saw this. You are welcome to remain here, Ishida Uryu.”

The group went silent as Juushiro approached, still carrying Tetsuya, who was beginning to move sluggishly in his arms.

“Is my cousin all right?” Byakuya asked, studying Tetsuya closely as the young man’s eyes opened and blinked several times before settling on Juushiro’s smiling face.

“He’ll be fine,” Juushiro answered with certainty, “He is merely exhausted from letting me tap into his reiatsu to show Sogyo no Kotowari’s true form.”

“Your ability is amazing,” Ichigo said respectfully, “I’ve never seen anything like that.”

At the shinigami substitute’s words, Byakuya glanced at Toshiro’s bowed head and a fresh look of guilt passed over his face.

“It’s clear now why you have the respect of so many people,” Uryu added, “You aren’t just powerful. You really care about peace. You could have killed so many quincies. They weren’t able to use their blut for protection from your attack, because they had just been attacking, themselves. There is a delay in switching from blut arterie to blut vene. You would have destroyed them if you’d meant to.

“I think we’ve destroyed enough people and things, don’t you?” Juushiro said, glancing a group of children who had been strengthening the barrier.

“Yeah,” Uryu agreed, “I’m just grateful that you stopped it when I couldn’t.”

“You made a good effort,” Juushiro assured him, “You know, it’s obvious that you care about what happens to them. Maybe, if you give this some consideration, you might rethink your choice not to lead them.”

Uryu let out a dismissive breath.

“They don’t need me,” he sighed, shaking his head, “I’m a traitor to them. That’s what I chose when I stood with you.”

“I do not think that is true,” Byakuya interjected, “Nacht Isarno made a reckless move that could have resulted in the deaths of a thousand quincies. It would have decimated what was left of the once proud quincy noble houses and left only tattered remains of your people.”

“Well, some folks would probably think that’s a good thing,” Uryu commented.

“I think more would agree that the one who cares more greatly about the quincies’ future is you,” Nori asserted, “I don’t know when Central 46 will be operational again, but I give you my word that when it is, I will be sure that the sages and judges all know what you did here today. I am sure they will prefer to see someone like you setting the path for the quincies.”

“I can barely figure out my own path,” Uryu said, blushing, “I’m no king.”

“You may not be their king right now,” Juushiro said, smiling warmly, “but you can be. Those fighters all know that you weren’t betraying them. You were protecting them. Some will forget that, but I think more will remember. Give it some more thought, Uryu. The quincies need a leader like you.”

Uryu breathed in deeply and let it out again slowly.

“I’ll think about it.”

“Good,” Ukitake said, turning his attention to Tetsuya and setting his somewhat recovered partner onto his feet, “I should take Tetsuya to rest and we should both eat.”

“We will also need to see to your wedding, now that the danger has passed,” Byakuya said, meeting Tetsuya’s eyes with a touch of regret, “Shall we plan to begin the ceremony at sunset?”

“Are you all right with that?” Juushiro asked Tetsuya.

The younger man smiled and nodded.

“It’s fine,” he answered, his voice shaking very slightly, “I think it’s just been made clear to everyone that the bond between us is exceptional. After sharing in the power of your true form, I know. I may not feel ready to be married, but I know who I belong with.”

“Ukitake taichou, I apologize for having to take this action without allowing time for your family to come and join us,” Byakuya said solemnly, “When Kuchiki Manor is restored, we will have a more formal gathering.”

He moved closer to Tetsuya, curving a gentle hand around his cousin’s face.

“I had hoped to give you away in a more fitting manner,” he said softly, “dressed in beautiful clothing and surrounded with family and friends in the lovely grounds of our home.”

At his words, Uryu’s eyes widened for a moment, and Ichigo gave him a curious look.

“What’s up?” he whispered, “Something wrong?”

“No,” Uryu whispered back, “I just…I have an idea. I need to go and talk to Kisuke for a minute.”

“Sure, you want me to come too?”

“No, it’s okay. I’ll be back.”

“Okay, cause you know that even if the wedding isn’t a formal one, we’ll be dancing tonight. I want you to dance with me.”

“I’ll be there,” Uryu said, blushing, “I’ve gotta go.”

Ichigo watched as he disappeared into the compound, then turned his attention back to the others.

“I will be happy with what we can manage here,” Tetsuya assured his anxious cousin.

“Come now,” Juushiro said, slipping an arm around Tetsuya, “we both need to rest after that.”

“I’ll go back and work with the other elders on preparations,” Nori said, turning away.

Byakuya started to speak to Toshiro, then paused, stiffening slightly as he realized that Renji, Rukia and Rikichi stood with the rest of the fighters.

“Abarai,” he said sternly, “what are you and that boy doing out of bed! You are still recovering.”

“Yeah, well, we wouldn’t be able to recover if the damned compound was overrun. You know that,” Renji answered, slipping an arm around Rukia and kissing her on the cheek, making her blush brightly, “We’ll go back to bed now, Taichou.”

“Hmm,” Byakuya said thoughtfully, “Rukia.”

His sister froze and her eyes widened in reaction.

“See that Renji and Rikichi are properly cared for…and that they do not leave the infirmary again until the healer releases them for duty!”

“Yes, Nii-sama!” Rukia said, smirking and swatting at Renji, “You heard him. Get back to the infirmary, you fool!”

“We’re going!” Renji shouted, ducking and grabbing at her hand, “Quit it!”

The three moved away, leaving Byakuya alone with Toshiro. The noble breathed slowly, gazing quietly at the younger man and trying to think of something to say.

“Stop it,” Toshiro chided him, “I can feel the disturbance in your reiatsu and even using spirit particles to sense it, I know the expression you’re wearing. Stop feeling sorry for me! I was acting in the line of duty and I got injured. You have to stop torturing yourself over that.”

“You can sense my facial expressions?” Byakuya mused, staring at the younger man, “Do you even realize how much training something like that usually takes? It’s astounding how you have compensated for your lack of sight, Toshiro.”

He moved closer, surprising the younger taichou by sliding warm arms around him.

“Are you sure you want to do that?” Toshiro asked, “You want everyone to know?”

“Do you?” Byakuya asked, quietly, bringing his face close to the younger man’s.

“That depends,” Toshiro said, frowning, “You’re not just doing this because you feel sorry for me, right?”

Byakuya gave him an offended look.

“I am doing this because you amaze me,” he corrected his slighter comrade, “It should not surprise me. I know that the children of the Rukongai are resilient, but you take that to astounding levels, Toshiro. Most could not…would not even dream that they could overcome blindness and keep on fighting as you do. Why would I pity you? How could I dare to do that in the face of what you are?”

Toshiro blushed, earning a rare smile from the Kuchiki leader.

“I’m just doing what I have to,” he argued, “It’s what anyone would do…isn’t it?”

Byakuya sank his fingers into the long spikes of white hair and kissed Toshiro’s flushed lips fervently.

“Not everyone persists in that diligent, sometimes reckless and always passionate way that you do. No, they do not.”

“Well, I guess I just don’t know any other way to be,” Toshiro answered, “I would’ve died already, a hundred different times, if I hadn’t been that way.”

“And I am glad you are exactly as you are. I do feel guilt when I see the beauty of things around us and I want you to see it in all of its beauty too. I regret that you have suffered this loss because you were protecting me from my own recklessness. That cannot be helped, any more than it can be helped that you live your life the way you do. I want you to see again, and my discomfort will make me determined to see that happens. So, do not lecture me every time you sense that I am wearing a guilty expression. I need to be determined to find an answer.”

“ _We’ll_ find an answer, Byakuya,” Toshiro promised, seeking the Kuchiki leader’s willing lips hungrily, “Neither one of us will give up until we do!”

XXXXXXXXXX

“Are you comfortable now?” Juushiro asked, pulling Tetsuya closer and kissing him on the top of his head.

Tetsuya turned under the covers and snuggled closer to his smiling partner, yawning and blinking sleepily.

“Perfectly comfortable, thank you,” Tetsuya sighed, “But I can’t stop thinking about how it felt. I’m used to inhabiting waterforms and shattering them to move around, but it’s nothing like what happened when your Sogyo no Kotowari took its true form. I’ve never experienced anything like that. When you said that you were going to borrow my reiatsu, I assumed it was to strengthen your attack. Instead, I felt that I was shielding the ones we protected and you were honing and controlling the fighting power. It’s so strange. It felt so natural to be joined with you that way…almost as though it wasn’t the first time, but the most recent of many times.”

Juushiro nodded, running his fingers gently through Tetsuya’s silken hair.

“You aren’t alone in that. I felt it too. You know what I’ve said about that story my mother told me.”

Tetsuya nodded.

“That there is a healing soul that comes to life to heal one that all other healers have failed,” he whispered, “But, it’s just a story, isn’t it? A superstition? Juuhsiro-sama, do you really think there is such a soul? And if I am one, shouldn’t I know it?”

“I have to admit, I don’t have any answers. I only know what I felt when your healing hands touched me. I believe that story could be real, and I wonder what it means for us.”

Tetsuya gave the elder man a troubled look.

“I think I’ve read almost every myth in the Kuchiki archive,” he sighed wearily, “and the one lesson that stands out is that such power appears when there is a great need. And if this healing power I have is what you suspect, then I am afraid of what could happen. We have already suffered so much in this war. Do you think it will get worse?”

“Well, they do say it’s darkest before dawn,” Juushiro noted, “but don’t focus on that right now. We are safe and warm. We are together. And in a few hours, you and I will be married.”

Juushiro felt a twinge of sympathy at the tiny flash of fear that Tetsuya forced down again almost immediately.

“It’s all right. Don’t let that worry you. I give you my word, I will never do anything to hurt you.”

“I know that,” Tetsuya assured him, “It’s just hard sometimes when the past doesn’t make it easy to forget.”

“I don’t expect you will forget,” Juushiro said, caressing his face and offering his intended a soft, indulgent kiss, “How could you learn to protect yourself if you didn’t remember what happened before? The important thing is that you learn to trust me.”

“I do trust you,” Tetsuya assured him, hugging him more tightly, “And you can trust me when I tell you…I do love you.”


	13. New Light

Tetsuya’s waking mind registered the soft footstep of his attendant entering the sleeping chamber and he turned beneath the covers, lifting his head slightly and opening his large blue eyes. The sapphire orbs blinked and evidenced the barest hint of disappointment as he found his intended gone from their bed. He drew a deeper breath and sat up, smiling as Koji set a food tray in his lap, then took a seat next to the bed.

“It’s almost sunset, Tetsuya-san,” the young man informed him, “Ukitake taichou has gone to bathe and dress. He asked me to make sure you ate once more before the ceremony to assure you are fully recovered.”

“I feel fine,” Tetsuya chuckled, looking down at the heaping tray, “but you’ll get no argument from me because I am starved. I know I ate a lot a while ago…”

“But Ukitake taichou’s bankai was demanding on both of you,” Koji acknowledged.

He gave Tetsuya a brighter smile.

“Ukitake taichou and I also noticed that, while you were sleeping, you were radiating reiatsu again, Tetsuya-san. Michio came in to examine you and he said that he thinks your powers are beginning to return. He asked me to have you try some gentle kido after you eat, then see if you can enter your inner world.”

Tetsuya nodded briefly as he dug into his food. Koji’s expression warmed as his master attacked the huge meal almost desperately.

“You have a good appetite,” he noted, “That is a relief. I was worried before, when you were so troubled.”

“You don’t have to worry. I am much better now,” Tetsuya assured him, taking a swallow of his tea, “Thank you for taking care of me, Koji.”

Koji blushed.

“You don’t have to thank me for that, Tetsuya-san,” he laughed softly, “I am always happy to help you.”

“And I am always grateful,” Tetsuya persisted.

The two looked up as Byakuya entered the room with his attendant at his side.

“Greetings, Cousin,” Byakuya said quietly, “I hope you slept well.”

“Very well,” Tetsuya said, smirking, “and before you ask, I ate before I fell asleep and I am eating now, so I promise I won’t pass out during the ceremony.”

“I am pleased to find you in such good spirits,” the clan leader said approvingly, “I know that this wedding is sudden for you. If not for the very strict rules…”

“You know I understand that,” Tetsuya said reassuringly, “Don’t worry about me. I am fine, Byakuya-sama. And actually, after what happened during the confrontation with the quincies, I feel even more resolve to see this through.”

A rare smile touched Byakuya’s lips at the peaceful expression that overtook Tetsuya’s comely face as he continued.

“Being connected with his power, being brought so close to his soul made me feel like we are already somehow bound…and that is what made me able to heal him.”

Byakuya studied his cousin thoughtfully for a moment.

“You believe there is truth to this myth that Juushiro’s mother told him, don’t you?” he inquired.

“I think there must be,” Tetsuya answered insistently, “There is no other explanation for my being able to heal him when all other healers could not, and for what we experienced when our reiatsu was joined for his bankai. I may still have my doubts about how ready I am to join with him sexually, but there is no doubt in my mind…in my heart, that we are meant for each other.”

Byakuya let out a long, soft breath.

“That is some relief,” he admitted, reaching out to lay a hand on Tetsuya’s, “And you can be assured that someone like Juushiro is going to be patient with you as you adjust to your new circumstances.”

Tetsuya shifted very slightly and bit his lip gently.

“Patient or not, there is really no escaping what must happen after our vows are taken.”

Byakuya gave him a sympathetic look.

“He will be very gentle with you,” he said reassuringly, “He knows that you are not really ready to take this step.”

“That is a comfort.”

Tetsuya dabbed at his lips with a napkin and set his tray aside.

“I should bathe and dress now.”

His eyes took on a slightly somber look. Byakuya’s head tilted questioningly.

“Is something wrong?” he asked, frowning.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Tetsuya assured him, “I was just thinking that the only thing I have to wear is my house guard’s uniform.”

Byakuya smiled and cupped a gentle hand around his cousin’s cheek.

“I am sure that Juushiro will find you look beautiful in whatever you wear.”

“I know he will,” Tetsuya answered more softly, “And it’s silly, with everything that’s going on, to be worried about what I will wear. I just…want to look good for him.”

“And you will,” Byakuya promised, “Come now. Koji will lay out your clothes and we can go to the bathing chamber together.”

Tetsuya nodded and climbed out of the bed, heading into the dressing area alongside his attendant. He stopped short, staring as his eye fell on what he was sure was the most lovely formal wedding kimono he could have imagined. Perfectly formed in handsome navy silk, the neck and sleeves were lined in a gentler pale blue. Finished with a band of teal at the waist, it left Tetsuya breathless as he tried to fathom its presence in front of him.

“Byakuya-sama,” he managed in a whisper.

His cousin moved quickly to his side with the attendants following. The three froze and gazed at the beautiful garment, then looked back at Tetsuya questioningly.

“Byakuya-sama, did you…?”

“No,” his cousin answered in a mystified tone, “I have no idea where this came from.”

“It wasn’t there when I was in to see you earlier,” Koji mused.

“Who could have done this?” Torio wondered aloud, rubbing his chin.

Tetsuya moved closer, breathing in the scent of the fine silk garment and studying it more closely. After several minutes, he blinked slowly and looked back at the others with an expression of wonder.

“Ishida Uryu made this,” he breathed, touching the kimono with an adoring hand, “I’ve seen things he has made for other friends. I would know his work anywhere! Uryu made this!”

“But we only formally announced the wedding this morning,” Byakuya said, frowning, “How in kami’s name did he find the material, let alone make in a day what takes most tailors a month to craft?”

“It’s a family gift,” Tetsuya explained, tears coming to his eyes, “It’s so beautiful, Byakuya-sama! It’s perfect!”

XXXXXXXXXX

Juushiro stepped out from underneath the spray of the shower and onto a bath mat, where he waited as an attendant began to carefully dry his slim, muscular body. He caught his image in the mirror, wondering silently at how his normally overly thin form had filled out and his flesh color looked so much better.

_Amazing! I knew that I was fully healed, but I imagine a part of me was reluctant to fully accept that the disease in me was gone. Perhaps I feared having my hopes shattered after something so beautiful and hopeful touched me…_

“My old friend,” Shunsui’s voice said from behind him.

Ukitake turned and broke into a wide, bright smile of greeting as his attendant hastily wrapped a yukata around him. Shunsui wrapped strong arms around his comrade, hugging him tightly, then loosing him and eyeing him closely. His already wide smile warmed at what he saw.

“It’s true, then,” he said in a wondering tone, “Takao’s boy healed you?”

“He did,” the white-haired taichou confirmed, “I’m pretty amazed by that, myself.”

“How about blown away?” Shunsui laughed, “You’ve never looked so good. Not the whole time I’ve known you.”

“Are you insulting me?” Juushiro joked, “I think I’m offended.”

“Let me offer you a drink to apologize, and to say congratulations,” Shunsui said, pulling a silver flask from his sleeve, “I heard you’re getting married.”

“You go ahead,” Juushiro said, smiling, “I have to have a clear head for the ceremony. I’m sure there will be some toasting afterward, although it will just be with the Kuchiki elders and what friends of ours could be here.”

“Why do you think I hurried here so fast?” the captain commander laughed, “I wasn’t going to miss my best friend’s wedding. Not in a million years.”

He took a deep swallow from the flask, then slipped it back into his sleeve. Juushiro gave his attendant a little nod and a friendly smile.

“Go on. I will be there to dress in a few minutes. I’m just going to catch up with my friend, here.”

“Of course, Ukitake taichou,” his attendant said, bowing, “I will wait in the dressing room.”

“I heard there was nearly a frightful battle here,” Shunsui said, lowering his voice conspiratorially, “and that _someone_ used an unexpectedly powerful bankai. I know you’ve been healed, but to be able to manage something like that, and so quickly.”

“You know I have practiced extensively with my bankai in my inner world,” Juushiro explained, “And even now, it requires me to borrow power from my fiancé to use its true form. But yes, I was able to use my bankai to convince the attacking quincies to leave.”

Shunsui let out an appreciative breath.

“Too bad we didn’t have that power during the war. It could have saved some lives that were lost.”

“It certainly saved lives here.”

“I heard you knocked out a bunch of them and left good ol’ Kaiser Nacht shaking in his combat boots,” Shunsui said in an impressed tone.

“Now, you know that I don’t fight in front of children,” Juushiro said, smirking, “I wasn’t going to change that, just because of a quincy with bad manners.”

“Well, you can bet that he isn’t in the shadows, drowning his misery in sake. He’s going to be plotting revenge. And if he understands that he can’t take his target, head on, he might just focus that hatred on you and the people around you,” Shunsui said, his face taking on a more serious expression, “Juushiro, keep Tetsuya close to you. I know he is powerful, but…”

“Well, about that,” the white-haired taichou said more softly, “It seems that there was some tinkering done with Tetsuya’s zanpakutou, back when he first received it from Byakuya.”

Shunsui considered his friend’s words for a moment, then his eyes registered comprehension.

“Ah, Byakuya’s protective instincts.”

“Yes,” Juushiro confirmed, “It seems that he was worried for Tetusya’s safety, so he made an agreement with his zanpakutou spirit to allow Tetsuya to access Arashi’s fighting power in his training.”

“For Tetsuya to access _Arashi’s_ power?” he repeated, “But…”

“Tetsuya was developing strong healing skills,” Juushiro explained, “and Byakuya knew that, as mixed blood noble, he was already going to be facing some prejudice.”

“And to have let him emerge as a healer would have encouraged his pureblood enemies to think he was weak,” Shunsui spat disgustedly, “I understand the thinking, but it must have come as a shock to Tetsuya when he found out.”

“It was when he found me and Re-kuhime sensed his powerful desire to stop my death. Tetsuya doesn’t know how it happened, but his sword spirit tapped into the healing power that was not allowed to develop, and she used Tetsuya to heal me.”

“How did he take it when he found out?” Shunsui asked.

“He was actually very understanding,” Juushiro said, an edge of sadness in his voice, “But the situation seemed to have caused a shock to his system and Tetsuya lost his powers. He still has reiatsu radiating in his body, but he wasn’t able to connect with his blade and even his natural abilities are not working.”

“Ah.”

“Urahara Kisuke thinks that his powers will return as he comes to terms with his true power and reconnects with Re-kuhime. But for now, he is vulnerable. I will be careful with him. He’s become quite precious to me.”

“I can see that,” Shunsui said approvingly, “It’s not just good health making you glow all over, my friend. You are in love.”

“Yes,” Juushiro affirmed, “very much so.”

“And Tetsuya?”

Juushiro took a slow, soft breath.

“He is still damaged from his childhood as a prisoner, so we are taking the physical things more slowly. But he did seem sincere in telling me that he loves me also.”

“That’s good news,” Shunsui said sincerely, “But don’t let me keep you. You have a wedding to prepare for.”

“I wish there was time to send home for something more appropriate to wear than my threadbare uniform. My haori is barely holding itself together. But just to be able to join people in marriage, after what we’ve been through. I suppose I shouldn’t be picky about clothing. It’s more important that we are alive. So many others aren’t anymore.”

“And you could have been among them,” Shunsui noted, pausing and removing the flask from his sleeve to take another drink, “I am very happy that Tetsuya interfered with your fate. I didn’t want to lose my oldest, best friend.”

“I didn’t want to be lost,” Juushiro chuckled, rubbing a towel over his face and hair, then heading for the bathing chamber door.

They started towards the dressing room, taking slow steps and talking along the way.

“Well, now that you’re here,” Ukitake went on, “what would you say to being my best man? Byakuya is giving Tetsuya away, but I wasn’t sure who to ask if you weren’t here.”

Shunsui gave him a deeply pleased look.

“Are you kidding? Of course I’ll stand up for you,” he laughed, “It would be an honor.”

“Good,” Ukitake answered slowing as his attendant ran out of the room in front of them, wearing a surprised expression.

“Ukitake taichou! Come, sir, you must see what I found in your dressing room! You won’t believe it! Come and see!”

Juushiro and Shunsui exchanged curious glances and followed the youth to the dressing room door. They entered the room and came to a sudden stop, staring ahead of them with stunned expressions.

On a dressing stand in front of them hung a silken hunter green kimono with notes of olive at the collar and sleeve and finished with a long black sash.

“What is this?” Juushiro mused, moving forward and examining the handsome garment more closely, “This is made in my size, perfectly tailored! How is that possible?”

“There was a note with the kimono, sir…from Ishida Uryu,” his attendant said, holding the note out to the surprised taichou.

Juushiro accepted the envelope from his hand and broke into a touched smile.

“Ukitake taichou, please accept my warmest congratulations. I knew that most of everyone’s finer clothing and possessions must have been lost in the war, so I wanted to give you something to wear to your wedding. I’ve known Tetsuya for awhile and I can see how strong his feelings for you are. I also know that Tetsuya is gaining a husband who will respect and love him the way he deserves. I know you two will be happy together. Please accept this gift and my best wishes. Uryu.”

“Well now,” Shunsui chuckled, “that’s just about everything.”

“I do wish my family could be here, but once things are more settled, Byakuya is going to have a formal reception at Kuchiki Manor.”

“I’ll look forward to that.”

“It will be awhile before the Seireitei is back in order,” Juushiro sighed, “but this is a good beginning, isn’t it, Shunsui?”

“It is,” his friend agreed, slipping an arm around him and giving him a warm hug, “Now, why don’t we get you into this. Someone is waiting for you. You don’t want to leave him hanging too long.”

“No,” Juushiro agreed, blushing very slightly, “Tetsuya is probably already very nervous. He isn’t quite ready for this. If we had a choice, I would give him more time.”

“He’ll be fine,” Shunsui said reassuringly, “My friend, you are exactly who that young man needs most. If Tetsuya hasn’t already seen that, it won’t be very long until he does.”

The two looked up as another attendant flash stepped into the room.

“Sirs, I was told to let you know that the guests are gathering in the main meeting chamber. The wedding will begin in thirty minutes.”

Shunsui’s smile widened and he nodded.

“You get dressed. I’ll go out and warm up the crowd,” he joked.

Juushiro gave his friend a gratified smile.

“Shunsui,” he said, touching the captain commander’s arm, “thank you.”

“Be happy,” Shunsui whispered, his smile fading slightly, “That is all the thanks I need.”


	14. Through a Child's Eyes

Juushiro stood, smiling, in front of the dressing mirror, admiring the beautiful fabric of the formal kimono he wore as his attendant worked at his long, white hair, first weaving a small braid on each side, then pulling them up gently to meet and combine into a long braid down the back, leaving the rest of his hair loose and flowing around his shoulders and down his back.

 _I wonder how Tetsuya is holding up_ , he wondered silently, _He seemed collected earlier, but there was anxiety beneath the calm, much like Byakuya, but a little less capable of restraint. Yes, that more restless heart of his is not so easy to hold back, though he does try._

_I do hope his fears about the consummation do not torment him too much. I did all I could to reassure him, but when the moment comes, we shall have to see. Still, there are things I can do to help relax him. I have a few ideas…_

“Ukitake taichou,” Torio said, peeking in through the doorway, “Byakuya-sama asked me to inform you that everything is ready for the ceremony. I am to escort you to the meeting chamber.”

“Thank you, Torio,” Juushiro answered, pausing to thank and dismiss his own attendant.

He fell in with Torio, heading out of his dressing room and down a long corridor.

“Have you seen Tetsuya this afternoon?” he asked conversationally.

“I saw him earlier, yes,” Torio confirmed, “Byakuya-sama had Koji and me keeping him busy so that he wouldn’t have time to get nervous.”

“That’s good,” the white-haired taichou said approvingly, “He can be high strung, but you and Koji know that.”

“Yes, sir, but Tetsuya-san is very brave. He may be anxious, but he will calm when the ceremony begins.”

“I hope you’re right…although I think he is more worried about things that come after the wedding.”

“Yes, probably,” Torio agreed, “but my brother knows how to calm Tetsuya-san. He will soothe Tetsuya-san before the consummation.”

“I have an idea about that,” Juushiro replied, moving closer to whisper into Torio’s ear for a moment.

At his words, the attendant’s face brightened.

“That is a wonderful idea, Ukitake taichou!” he exclaimed softly, “That is sure to relax him.

“I hope it will,” Juushiro sighed as the two reached the entrance to the large meeting chamber, “The last thing I would ever want to do is to hurt or frighten him.”

“But Ukitake taichou is such a gentle person,” Torio insisted, “Tetsuya-san knows that.”

“He does,” Juushiro agreed, “But sometimes what the mind knows takes longer for the heart to learn.”

You are a good, caring man,” Torio said, his gaze softening, “Tetsuya-san is lucky to have you.”

“I am luckier to have him. I would not be alive if it wasn’t for his healing. I will never forget that.”

Juushiro took his leave of Byakuya’s attendant at the chamber door and waited until a soft instrumental cued him to make his entry. He walked through a side door, moving across the front of the small gathering of Kuchiki elders, family members and a few friends. Shunsui waited at the end of the procession aisle, standing next to Head Kuchiki Elder Nori. He continued walking until he reached Shunsui, then he took his place and turned to look down the aisle.

Despite the haste with which the gathering had been planned and the fact that their shelter was little more than a cluster of smaller and larger caves, small lights hung from rows of trees that lined the chamber, there were plenty of chairs for the guests and off to one side, several tables had been set up and decorated, and they held a modest, but delectable looking feast for after the ceremony.

_This is actually quite lovely. Everyone is doing their best to make the occasion special for us, despite our current situation. It’s heartwarming._

But if his heart was warmed by the efforts of the encamped Kuchiki family, it melted as Byakuya appeared at the far end of the aisle, dressed in a handsome red and navy kimono with Tetsuya at his side. He felt a flutter in his chest at how beautiful his intended looked in the silken navy kimono he wore, and that he wore what was clearly a genuine smile as he watched Juushiro’s reaction to seeing him. The guests on either side of the aisle rose and a wedding march began to play.

For all that he was surely still nervous, Tetsuya’s steps were graceful and looked confident as he and Byakuya moved forward to join Shunsui and him in front of Kuchiki Nori. They paused at the bottom of the steps of the raised platform at the end of the aisle and Byakuya placed a gentle kiss on Tetsuya’s cheek before moving to follow him as he ascended the steps to meet his fiancé.

“You look enchanting,” Juushiro whispered as he accepted Tetsuya’s offered hand and the two turned to face Nori.

The music faded out and Nori nodded, acknowledging the two men in front of him, then he addressed the gathered guests.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered today in recognition that, even amidst the chaos and dangers of war, love is ever-present and when things seem darkest, it can produce what can only be called miracles. Every one of us here knows the story of Ukitake Juushiro, a noble son, afflicted with a deadly disease that all expected would claim his life. But as the last moments of his life counted down, a gentle hand reached out and provided a healing power that drove even Juushiro’s terminal illness away. None can explain this. It falls under that elusive connection we call resonance, and it has brought Ukitake Juushiro and Kuchiki Tetsuya to this moment, when their two lives will merge and become one.”

Nori’s chin lifted slightly and he smiled warmly.

“Who gives these two to be joined?” he asked.

“We do,” Byakuya and Shunsui said together.

“Juushiro and Tetsuya, do you swear that you seek this union freely and of your own will?”

“We do,” the couple answered.

Juushiro’s hands took hold of Tetsuya’s and he smiled encouragingly as he caught the younger man’s eye, making Tetsuya blush. Nori’s deep voice continued, reading the blessings and guiding the two through their vows. At the end, the elder paused thoughtfully and joined hands with the couple.

“I would like to take a moment to pass on from the Kuchiki family council a message of gratitude for the service that these two men have provided. Before war was declared, it was Tetsuya’s forward thinking that prepared us for the situation, and when the time came, preserved us. Tetsuya made sure that all of us were safe, then remained outside the barrier to provide us constant protection. Ukitake Juushiro was evacuated here for medical treatment, but when the quincy forces threatened us one final time, he and Tetsuya stood together to warn them off. Juushiro, Tetsuya, you cannot begin to know the depths of our gratitude. We are glad to have the opportunity to offer you this new beginning and we hope that the coming years bring you happiness and contentment. Please accept our blessings as you embark upon this greatest of journeys as two become one. Now, please exchange a kiss as the first gift of your new marriage.”

Nori hands brought Juushiro and Tetsuya’s back together and Juushiro leaned forward, meeting Tetsuya for a warm, chaste kiss. Tetsuya’s eyes widened and a little shudder passed through him as they turned to face the guests.

“It is my honor to present to you Ukitakes Juushiro and Tetsuya,” Nori announced.

The guests applauded and music played as the newlyweds descended the steps, followed by a widely grinning Shunsui and a more sedate, but pleased looking Byakuya. Nori followed the four, leading the guests to the dining area as attendants began to alter the gathering area to make room for a dance floor.

“I don’t think I will be able to eat anything,” Tetsuya whispered, making Juushiro smile in sympathy as they reached their place and the elder man pulled out his new husband’s chair.

“I doubt we will have much time anyway,” Juushiro whispered back, waiting as Tetsuya sat down, then moving to join him.

The two admired the simple, yet elegantly laid out meal.

“I don’t know how they managed this,” Tetsuya said appreciatively, “despite being prepared, we were beginning to run low on some supplies. I feel kind of guilty doing this.”

“It’s fine,” Juushiro assured him, digging into his meal, “Byakuya told me that fresh stores arrived from a facility in the living world, so there is plenty now.”

“Oh, I suppose I was so focused on the wedding, I forgot everything else,” Tetsuya laughed softly.

“Look,” Juushiro said, between bites of the savory food, “It looks like Byakuya chose Toshiro as his date.”

Tetsuya smiled sadly as he watched the two holding hands and exchanging affectionate kisses.

“Have there been any changes in his condition?” Tetsuya asked.

“Unfortunately, no,” Juushiro answered, “But Urahara Kisuke is looking into that.”

“If anyone can help Toshiro, he can,” Tetsuya said, his eyes lowering and a little flush touching his cheeks.

He made a sound of surprise as his husband’s hand captured him under the chin and raised Tetsuya’s eyes to meet his.

“You could still possibly help him,” Juushiro said calmly, “I know that your reiatsu is radiating well and Koji mentioned to me that you were able to enter your inner world.”

“But I am still powerless,” Tetsuya reasoned, “and…”

He paused as Juushiro’s warm fingers touched his lips stayingly.

“Be patient with yourself,” he advised the younger man, letting his lips follow his fingers to brush against Tetsuya’s frowning mouth, “It will be all right.”

“I’m sure you’re right,” Tetsuya answered, his voice betraying the lack of sincerity beneath the words and earning a reproving look from Juushiro, who started to object.

Tetsuya cleared his throat softly.

“W-we should begin to mingle with the guests,” he said, standing.

“But you’ve barely touched your food,” the elder man objected.

“I am really not very hungry,” Tetsuya assured him, “Koji stuffed me full of food before. I really can’t, though I will wait if you are not ready.”

“Oh, it’s fine,” Juushiro assured him, standing, “Come.”

The two joined hands and worked their way around the tables, greeting each guest and pausing for intermittent toasts.

 _It may have seemed premature to be celebrating_ , Juushiro mused inwardly, _but I think we all needed to feel something normal, to know that although we will be returning to a vastly changed environment, it is not the buildings or the things that make our home, it is the people._

They reached the end of the tables as the first guests were finishing their meal, then Juushiro slipped an affectionate arm around Tetsuya and led him to the dance floor. Within a few minutes, the guests began to make their way over and the band played a short interlude. Juushiro waited until everyone had gathered, then he bowed in front of Tetsuya and took up his position for the dance.

“If I haven’t told you, you look beautiful, Tetsuya,” he complimented his spouse, “The kimonos that Uryu designed for us are amazing.”

“I was almost in tears when I saw it,” Tetsuya admitted, his hands sliding along the smooth fabric along Juushiro’s shoulders, “I still don’t know how he was able to design and make something so perfect for us so very quickly. I know he has a gift, but this is beyond what I would have thought was possible, even for him.”

“He is a good friend.”

“Yes,” Tetsuya agreed, “He is a very kind person, and I thought he was brave to stand up to the quincy, Nacht.”

“That was brave,” Juushiro agreed, looking over to where Ichigo and Uryu were dancing together, “It’s good to see him looking happy. I’m sure it’s been hard, being here and seeing how much damage we and the quincies caused each other. I know there have been some who took their frustrations out on him, but he was careful not to fight back.”

Tetsuya nodded.

“If we are to make peace of any lasting kind, we have to stop thinking of ourselves as enemies and work on becoming allies, even if we are not friends. We all have to share our world.”

“We do,” Juushiro agreed.

He paused as a hand touched his shoulder and Byakuya bowed in greeting and took his cousin’s hand.

“If I may,” he inquired politely.

“Of course,” Juushiro answered, smiling.

“Would you like to dance?” Toshiro asked, extending a hand in Juushiro’s direction.

“Of course, of course,” Juushiro replied, accepting his offered hand, “Toshiro, are you beginning to regain your vision?”

“No,” Toshiro answered, his smile fading very slightly, “I have just learned from Byakuya how to use reiatsu sensing to replace my vision while I am not able to see.”

Juushiro shook his head in amazement.

“It’s hard to tell,” he complimented the younger taichou, “You’ve learned quickly.”

“Thank you. Urahara Kisuke says that he still has several ideas that may help me, so we are hopeful it won’t be long before my vision is restored.”

He turned his head slightly in Tetsuya and Byakuya’s direction.

“How is Tetsuya doing?” Toshiro asked, “I heard that his powers have failed.”

“Yes, he received a pretty bad shock when he learned that…well, that his powers were not as he had understood them.”

“Byakuya told me that he interfered with Tetsuya’s zanpakutou,” Toshiro informed him, “He feels pretty bad about it.”

“He confided that in you,” Juushiro observed, “You two _are_ getting close, ne?”

“Yeah,” Toshiro confessed, blushing, “we are.”

Juuhsiro rejoined Tetsuya for another dance, noting as he did that his husband’s reiatsu seemed increasingly jittery as the dancing gave way to sharing cake and sweets, then conversation as the celebration wound down. He maintained a composed look as the two thanked the guests, and by the time Koji arrived to lead him to the consummation, Tetsuya’s previously flushed skin had gone pale.

“Is everything all right?” Shunsui asked, startling his old friend out of his reverie, “You look worried about something.”

“I think Tetsuya is barely holding himself together,” Juushiro confessed, “He has been growing more and more anxious all evening.”

“It’s to be expected,” Shunsui said sympathetically, “He suffered terrible abuse, although it was years ago. But, he had counseling, ne?”

“Oh yes. Counseling and a great deal of love and support from Byakuya and the attendants. But, there is something that Tetsuya has not had in all of that time, and that is a stable sexual relationship since leaving the prison. We both understand he is not ready for this, Shunsui. And the last thing in the world that I want to do is to hurt that young man. He has become precious to me. I would rather die than to hurt him.”

Shunsui gave him an assured smile.

“You aren’t going to hurt him,” he answered confidently, “No, if I know you, you already have an idea or two about how to calm him down.”

He moved closer to his friend and lowered his voice slightly.

“Juushiro, it’s plain as day that boy loves you.”

Juushiro’s heart skipped a beat.

“You think so?” he asked, “But he is…”

“He’s nervous. Sure. It makes sense. But, even though he’s nervous, the way he looks at you, the way he looks into your eyes when he talks to you, the way he’s holding himself up because he doesn’t want to worry you. Yeah, I think he loves you. He’s just scared. You’ve met his nasty cousin, Orochi, ne? You know what he put Tetsuya through, and no one has touched the boy since.”

“The only love he ever felt came from another prisoner, like him. His Naoki was gentle, but with what Orochi was doing to him, I don’t know if Tetsuya really registered that the two experiences were different. Pain and fear have built a wall around Tetsuya’s heart, and he isn’t going to feel anything else unless that wall comes down.”

“Well,” Shunsui said, smirking and retrieving a small flask from within his clothing, “if there’s one thing I know about my oldest and best friend, Ukitake Juushiro, he’s a master at bringing down walls of all kinds.”

He took a deep swallow, then made a sound of surprise as Juushiro snagged the flask and took a drink, then handed it back and turned in the direction Tetsuya had gone.

“You’re a little nervous too, aren’t you,” Shunsui chuckled.

Juushiro bit at his lips and nodded, cringing at the harsh taste of the liquor.

“Tetsuya saved my life. He’s the reason I’m breathing and why I was able for the first time to raise my bankai outside my inner world. He has given me a new life and tonight, he just might give me something else I did not expect to have.”

Shunsui’s smile warmed nostalgically.

“That’s right,” he said, nodding, “He is a breeder male and has strong resonance with you. There may be a child.”

Juushiro looked back at him, unable to make his voice sound to give an answer. Shunsui grinned and patted him on the back.

“Go on. The thing about miracles is that you want to grab onto them while you can. You don’t want to let one get away from you. Don’t keep Tetsuya waiting. I would say that you are just the miracle that boy needs right now too.”

Juushiro’s lips tightened and he nodded and stepped into the hallway. Koji met him just short of the bedroom.

“Is Tetsuya all right?” Juushiro asked quickly.

“He is okay,” Koji assured him, “I did give him a gentle sedative kido, but he isn’t groggy or anything. He’s calm.”

Juushiro nodded.

“Thank you, Koji.”

He moved forward to the door and looked in, his heart sinking very slightly as he found Tetsuya kneeling on their bed and facing away from him in traditional fashion. Juushiro took a steadying breath, then quietly summoned the twin spirits of his zanpakutou. The two boys appeared immediately and gazed up at him through wide, curious eyes.

“Listen carefully,” he whispered, “I need the two of you to do something for me.”

The twin spirits listened, their mouths turning into wide grins as their master instructed them, “Do you understand?”

“Uh-huh,” the two answered, starting to turn towards the bedroom.

“Now, remember,” Juushiro said firmly, “Tetsuya was never really a child, so he might not understand at first. Be careful not to upset him.”

“Got it!” the two boys laughed merrily.

Juushiro bit his lips against a knowing smile as the two flash-stepped into the bedroom and grabbed several of the pillows, then launched themselves at the unsuspecting young man on the bed.

“ _Pillow fight_!” the two yelled, swatting at Tetsuya and bringing him down instantly into a wide-eyed, confused looking tangle.


	15. Child's Play

Tetsuya knelt silently on the freshly turned down bed in the quarters he shared with the kind, white-haired taichou who had just become his husband, his slender back to the open door and his head bowed slightly. He kept his eyes closed and breathed slowly, feeling grateful for the light sedative kido that kept his heart from pounding too hard and his mind from feeling too anxious for him to sit still.

_Juushiro is gentle._

_He is kind._

_Juushiro would never hurt me._

_And I am not weak, as I was before. Byakuya-sama helped me to grow strong so that I could weather the demands of having a place in the greatest of the noble clans. Whatever happens, I can take care of myself._

He took a longer breath, holding it for several seconds and trying to picture himself, lying naked in Juushiro’s embrace.

_I have seen him naked. He has lovely, pale skin like mine. And like me, his skin is scarred in some places, although his scars are from honorable battle, while the majority of mine are from abuse. I do have one scar I have kept proudly._

His mind slipped back in time to the large, lakeside field where he and Byakuya had trained endlessly at Kuchiki Manor.

_He watched appreciatively, his chest still heaving from exertion as the thousand pink swords of Byakuya’s senkei rose around them. Byakuya gazed at him with a solemn, but deeply proud expression as he called down one of the swords and held it ready._

_“We have reached this place again, Tetsuya,” his cousin said calmly._

_“This place where I usually end up unconscious and kicking myself for how easily I was undone,” Tetsuya replied in an amused tone._

_“You learn something every time you face my senkei.”_

_“Yes, I learn how strong Byakuya-sama is…and how strong I want to be, so that I will never lose my freedom.”_

_“This is why I will never lose faith in you,” Byakuya assured him, “Your will is unbending, Tetsuya. While you have chosen to commit yourself to obeying my commands, you no longer do so out of fear. Watashi no itoko, there is nothing left to fear. You are strong, intelligent and brave. Use everything you have learned. Although I will not kill you, neither will I lessen the difficulty you will face in this chamber. When my sword strikes, it will cut you.”_

_Tetsuya nodded, drawing in a steadying breath and watching Byakuya closely. He sensed the wickedly fast flash step a moment before it happened and timed his own so that he remained just out of his cousin’s sword’s reach. He attacked quickly, well aware of Byakuya’s firm stance and his own lighter weight. Kido reinforced each swift stroke as he attacked, then was put on defense in a barrage of cuts and slashes. He scented blood and sensed the almost inevitable moment when Byakuya’s speed, skill and weight would bring him crashing down. He was pleased that, at least, his sword didn’t break under the stress, as it had several times before. Re-kuhime crashed against the thousand sword barrier and a heavy jolt went through Tetsuya’s body, bringing him down roughly. He turned his head slightly to see his cousin moving towards him in slow steps, his sword still positioned for attack._

_“This is the challenge that continues to thwart you,” Byakuya said calmly, “You are lying on the ground. Nothing I have taught you will help you. You are down to your own instincts and the heart that connects you with your zanpakutou. Think quickly now, Tetsuya. I will not hold back.”_

_“I cannot win with strength or speed,” Tetsuya thought, his eye moving to where his outstretched arm and grasping hand held Re-kuhime, just short of touching the sword barrier._

_He sensed that Byakuya was about to flash step and his eyes closed and his mind went suddenly blank as he simply allowed his reflexes to take over._

_“Touketsu shima,” he heard himself call out._

_He loosed a bright kido blast at his oncoming cousin, but instead of using the distraction to move away, he instead thrust his sword into the space between two of the swords in Byakuya’s senkei._

_“Water in the cracks is strong,” he whispered, “Even though I am weaker, if I fill the cracks with water and freeze it…”_

_He sensed Byakuya’s sword slashing and turned his body away, still holding his sword in place. The pink swords shivered and white light flared in the spaces between them. Tetsuya gasped as he felt Byakuya’s sword slice across the back of his right shoulder._

_“Kudakero!” he panted, his head spinning at the shock of again touching the barrier._

_“Tetsuya!” Byakuya exclaimed, his voice a mixture of surprise, wonder and an edge of fear as he watched the swords of his senkei break apart into a sea of bladed petals._

_Tetsuya’s eyes glazed over and the sky darkened into a quiet, deep grey that reminded him of his cousin’s placid, strong gaze. He collapsed onto the ground, listening to the cracking sound as his sword broke._

_He woke some time later to find himself lying on the shore of the nearby lake, looking up into those proud, grey eyes as Byakuya tended his wounds._

_“You did well.”_

_Tetsuya gave a short laugh._

_“And ended up unconscious again.”_

_“But you broke the power of my senkei, using your instincts and your courage to overcome my greater strength and speed. I am proud of you, Tetsuya.”_

_Tetsuya sat up slowly his head still spinning, but a smile gracing his lips as he glanced over his shoulder and spotted the deep slash that had cut across the place where his name and prisoner number had been branded._

_“Years ago, Byakuya-sama freed my body from Itamigiri,” he breathed softly, touching the wound with his fingertips, “Today, he freed my heart.”_

_He leaned forward and kissed his cousin’s frowning lips gently._

_“Thank you, Byakuya-sama.”_

_He almost lost consciousness again as those usually frowning lips smiled back at him._

_“You have freed your own heart. Your choices are truly your own now. No one will ever imprison you again.”_

The words repeated in Tetsuya’s mind as Juushiro’s footsteps sounded in the stone corridor outside their bedchamber.

_Marriages in noble families are often arranged. To me, it seemed like a prison, but one with no visible walls. I feared the power it could give one person over another. But, when I think of Juushiro, I know it will not be like that. Our marriage is not a prison, but is like that field where Byakuya-sama freed me of my weakness. It is a place to build strength, a place of love and protection. I will not wither there as I did in Orochi’s bed. In this place, there is all I need to completely open._

His breaths stopped as Juushiro’s footsteps halted. He kept his eyes closed, waiting to feel the bed move and a warm hand touch his shoulder. But he was jolted out of all expectation as something soft struck the back of his head and two small bodies crashed into him, bringing him down in a confused heap.

“Pillow fight!” two young voices shouted together as two pillows swatted him from opposite side, “C’mon, Tetsuya-chan, we wanna play!”

_I have never played._

Tetsuya’s blue eyes widened and he ducked aside, warding off the next several thumping blows.

_Naoki and I had no belongings but the rags we wore, and a little white, heart-shaped rock that we found in the courtyard and hid in our cell._

Little giggles filled Tetsuya’s ears and he felt the small fingers of one boy’s hand tickle his side, making him laugh and turn away reflexively.

“Oh, Tetsuya-chan is ticklish!”

_We did have imagination. And in fact, that was all we had._

“Tickle, tickle!” the two boys laughed, one tickling his side and the other tickling one bare foot.

“Wh-what are you doing? Who are you two?” Tetsuya panted, ducking as on of the green-eyed boys grabbed a pillow and swung it at him.

“You know who we are, Tetsuya-chan!” the two giggled together, “We are…”

Tetsuya’s eyes brightened.

“Sogyo no Kotowari?” he exclaimed, “You are his sword spirits?”

The two blue-clad boys answered with more giggles and a barrage of pillow strikes.

“You can hit them back,” Juushiro laughed from the doorway, “They’re just playing.”

Tetsuya bit his lip gently, dodging one pillow, then grabbing the next as it passed by him. He started to swing, but another pillow struck from the side, then one of the twins tackled him and began tickling again.

 _I’ve seen children playing this way_ , Tetsuya thought, _and I asked Byakuya-sama why they do it._

_For fun, for release of pent up energy._

His thoughts went skittering away as the twins found more ticklish places under an arm and along his neck. Tetsuya turned suddenly, trapping one wiggling body and finding a ticklish place between his chin and shoulder. The little boy squealed, twisting and laughing as he tried to get free.

“I’ll save you!” cried the other twin, crashing into Tetsuya and bringing all three down and throwing them over the edge of the bed, onto the floor.

In the doorway, Juushiro winced.

“Are you all right, Tetsuya?” he asked, “You can tell them to stop. They will.”

“I’m fine,” Tetsuya laughed, looking on as one of the twins held the other down and swatted him several times with one of the pillows.

Tetsuya grabbed a pillow and swatted one boy in the back, making him tumble onto his twin, and making both boys squeal with laughter. They attacked together, pinning Tetsuya on the bed and tickling him until he went breathless.

“S-stop!” he panted, trying not to laugh, “I can’t breathe!”

A pillow struck the twins from behind, sending them flying off the bed again as Juushiro stepped into the room and joined Tetsuya on the bed. Seeing their shinigami master, the two cheered and jumped back onto the bed, one climbing onto the white-haired taichou’s lap, while the other smiled widely and claimed Tetsuya’s. Tetsuya looked down at the boy with a surprised expression, then he felt a lovely twinge in his chest at the way the boy hugged his arm and nuzzled under his chin.

“Story! Story!” the twins yelled together, “Tell us a story!”

Juushiro looked at Tetsuya in askance.

“I’ll bet you know a lot of stories,” he said as he patted the head of the boy spirit sitting in his lap, “Byakuya told me that you enjoy reading the old myths in the family’s archive. Or you could tell them about one of your own adventures, if you like.”

“Adventure! Adventure!” shouted the twin spirits.

“You want to hear about an adventure Byakuya-sama and I had?” Tetsuya asked.

“Yes! Yes! Adventure!” the boys shouted, bouncing on their laps.

“Very well,” Tetsuya agreed, wrapping an arm around the boy on his lap, “I don’t know if you know, but I grew up in prison, a place where everything was cold and shades of grey. I did not own anything.”

“Poor Tetsuya-chan!” the boy on his lap said, hugging him, “That’s scary.”

“And sad,” the other twin added.

“It was,” Tetsuya agreed, “but when I was a teenager, Byakuya-sama came to the prison and he rescued me and the other prisoners there. His father and mine were best friends, so Byakuya-sama took me to Kuchiki Manor. He quickly realized that it was going to be pretty difficult for both of us. After all, I had never slept in a proper bed. I was never taught good manners and I didn’t eat at a table. I barely ate at all! We were only allowed to bathe once a week, and in icy cold water with no soap, so I smelled horrible! But Byakuya-sama assigned a cousin, Koji-kun, to take care of me and to teach me all I needed to know. The first thing he did was to take me to the big bathing chamber, where he bathed me under a waterfall!”

“We don’t like baths! We don’t like baths!” the boys yelled enthusiastically.

“I’m sure you would like them if you grew up like Tetsuya,” Juushiro said patiently, “…having to be dirty and itchy…”

“And _smelly_!” Tetsuya said emphatically, “The warm water felt so very good running down my body like that, and the sweet soap smelled so good, that I started to cry because it made me so happy.”

“You cried cause you were happy?”

“Happy and relieved because the prison was so cold, but everything, the water in my bath, the thick towels Koji dried me with, the new clothes and the covers on my bed were warmer and softer than anything I had ever felt!”

“Tell us more about you, Tetsuya-chan!” the boys pleaded.

Tetsuya nodded.

“That first night, Koji kun found me sleeping in a corner on the floor of my new bedroom, so he spent the night sleeping in the bed with me, so that I wouldn’t sneak back down on the floor. I had a bad dream that night and I wasn’t used to having my powers. They went out of control and froze most of my bedroom! It made a terrible mess. I was sure that Byakuya-sama was going to angry, that he would send me away. But Byakuya-sama,” Tetsuya said, glancing at Juushiro and smiling warmly, “is patient, like your master. He wasn’t angry at all, even though I sort of froze Koji a little, and he had to have the healer warm him back up again.”

“Whoa! Tell us more, Tetsuya-chan!” the boys cried, bouncing on their laps.

“Okay, I will tell you the funniest thing,” he agreed, “but after I do, you have to go back into your sword. It is time for bed.”

“Tetsuya is right,” Juushiro said, good naturedly, “It’s pretty late. We need our rest.”

“Awww!” the boys complained, pouting.

“I will tell you more stories after we rest,” Tetsuya promised, “but this last one for now is about when Byakuya-sama had me try some foods to see what I liked. You see, I had only ever had cold porridge, hard bread and weak tea. He said that I should try lots of different things, so Matsuko-san went to work making all kinds of things and giving me a little bit of each.”

“What did she make you?” the boys demanded.

“Well, she started with some savories, things like salty and herbed meats and vegetables. It was like heaven tasting those. I liked them very much. I had tasted a little bit of fish once, but the fish Matsuko-san made was so good, I started crying again!”

“Tetsuya-chan must have used a lot of hankies!” the boy on Juushiro’s lap concluded.

“I did. I had never been told when it was appropriate to laugh or cry, or how to hold a polite conversation. I had to learn _all_ of that! Anyway, when we got to the spicy food, that is when the funniest thing happened,” Tetsuya laughed, “Well, it wasn’t funny at the time, but we laughed about it later.”

“What happened!”

“I was trying my first bite of spicy food and I didn’t know to only take a little. I also didn’t know it would burn! It hurt my mouth and I thought that it was poison, so I spit it out and started crying and trying to wash it out with water from the koi pond! Byakuya-sama just stared for a moment, he was so very surprised!”

The boys descended into giggles and Juushiro smiled and patted their heads.

“Byakuya-sama dragged me out of the pond and explained about the spicy food and how it isn’t really proper towash out one’s mouth in a koi pond. He said, next time Koji would bring me some water. And after that, Matsuko-san made sure there was always water around in case it happened again.”

“That is funny, Tetsuya-chan! We want more! Please tell us more?”

“I remember Tetsuya saying that it must wait until we’ve all rested,” Juushiro chided the boy spirits, “Go on back to your sword now. Tetsuya and I are going to sleep now. We’ve had a very long day.”

Tetsuya watched quietly as the two spirits faded away, then he met Juushiro’s eyes shyly.

“They’re really sweet,” he commented softly.

“They can be,” Juushiro chuckled, “but they can also misbehave.”

“Re-kuhime is a bit headstrong sometimes too.”

“I noticed,” his husband agreed, moving closer and curling an arm around Tetsuya, making the younger man blush, “You are both spirited.”

“Orochi used to call me a savage, and I really was. I did learn what Byakuya-sama asked me to and I learned to conform to the rules, but I always felt better being outside than in, being naked, rather than dressed, running wild instead of being quiet and orderly. Arashi and I would escape frequently into the woods around the manor.”

“We’ll have to spend some time in the woods, then, if that’s what you like,” Juushiro said, nodding, “and if you enjoy being naked, then we are free to not wear clothes in our bedroom.”

Tetsuya’s blush deepened and Juushiro felt a shudder in his reiatsu, but Tetsuya’s hands moved to reach for the tie at his waist. His breath caught a little as Juushiro’s warm hands touched his.

“May I?” he asked, bowing his head slightly.

“Of course,” Tetsuya managed a little breathlessly.

Juushiro smiled.

“Will you undo mine?” he asked.

Tetsuya nodded and let his fingers catch the ends of the tie on his husband’s yukata. They pulled the ties away together, and let their clothing fall open. Tetsuya started to turn his head aside, but was caught under the chin by a warm hand that brought his eyes back to his husband’s.

“Look at me,” he urged Tetsuya, “Just look for now.”

“I am sorry I am so awkward,” Tetsuya apologized, tensing.

“Shh,” Juushiro soothed him, pulling him close, so that their bodies were touching and Tetsuya ended up pressed against his side, “This isn’t too bad, is it?”

“No,” Tetsuya answered uncertainly, “I like being close to you.”

“But you are still afraid. You don’t need to be. Nothing will happen in our home that is not okay with both of us. Lie down with me. We’ve slept alongside each other several times now. This time, we will sleep naked in each others’ arms. Is that acceptable to you?”

“Y-yes, Juushiro-sama,” Tetsuya answered, catching himself a moment too late, “S-sorry, Juushiro.”

The elder man’s hand curved around Tetsuya’s face gently teasing him into a long, tender kiss.

“Lie down with me?” Juushiro invited him.

“But, it is our wedding night,” Tetsuya objected tentatively, “We are supposed to…”

“Hmm,” Juushiro mused, rubbing his chin for a moment, “well, Tetsuya. While that is the tradition, remember that you have married into a more casual clan. And in addition, you did not marry a leader or an heir. There is no one who will be rude enough to ask and we needn’t tell anyone if we just sleep in each others’ arms tonight. We may have been required to marry, but we can get to know each other more slowly. I think by morning, you will feel more at ease with us touching each other.”

He paused at the sudden little flash of pain that reflected into Tetsuya’s blue eyes, then disappeared swiftly.

“What is it?” he asked quietly, “Did I say something that hurt you?”

“No,” Tetsuya assured him, “It is just that…I was never allowed to touch Orochi of my own will. He kept my hands tied and if I was to touch him, he guided me. Naoki and I had to be careful of the guards, so we just moved our clothing a little and he penetrated me. I know how to please…a man, but it’s hard for me to touch you out of my own desire.”

“That’s what we’ll get through tonight,” Juushiro decided, patting Tetsuya’s flushed cheek, then lowering his head to kiss the younger man affectionately.

He pulled Tetsuya down onto his chest, and his smile warmed as he felt the heated evidence of the younger man’s attraction.

“Do you mind if I touch you a little?”

“It’s fine.”

Tetsuya watched curiously for a moment as his husband’s hands slid down his back and curved around his bare bottom. Very cautiously, Tetsuya’s hands explored the white-haired taichou’s pale shoulders, then his fingers sank into the lengths of white hair. He could feel his husband’s hardness and a guilty twinge went through his insides.

“Juushiro, I feel bad leaving you uncomfortable all night,” he confided.

“My love,” Juushiro whispered in his ear, “I am in heaven, just being here, alive and breathing, and holding the miracle, that is the reason I’m still here, safe within my arms. Go to sleep, Tetsuya.”

Tetsuya started to object, but was undone by a swift, gentle flash of calming kido. His eyes blinked, then closed and his body relaxed into sleep.

“That’s better,” the elder man chuckled, “Don’t you worry. I think by morning we’ll be a lot more comfortable with each other. We will move slowly. We waited a lifetime for this. A few more hours is little to ask.”

He rubbed his cheek against the top of Tetsuya’s head, breathing in his warm, sweet scent and humming softly until he joined Tetsuya in sleep.


	16. Sound of Raindrops

Even curled in his new husband’s strong, safe arms, Tetsuya heard the beginning of the sounds of falling raindrops.

_He slipped out of the palace and into the fragrant gardens, ducking behind a tree as two armed hogosha passed by, then biting his lips to keep away a little, satisfied smirk. The bright colors and lightly swaying branches of the trees lured him, and the rain freshened air smelled so delicious, he couldn’t resist. Little droplets decorated his white flesh, clinging to his tumbled black hair and long eyelashes as he looked around a last time, then flash stepped into the gardens, racing among the blossoming trees, flowering plants and deep green brush._

_He didn’t notice at all the tall, black-haired, green-eyed soldier who followed him._

_When he was sure he was out of sight of the castle, his feet slowed. Water from the sodden grass welled up between his toes and raindrops continued to fall onto his face and arms as he headed onto the bank of a pretty blue lake and paused, looking around to make sure he was alone. Finding the area clear, he slipped out of his yukata, baring a slender, lithe body that made the watching eyes of the soldier soften and his lips curve into a gentle smile. The soldier glanced back at the castle, his senses extended. He sensed the presence of the king in the throne room and nodded briefly, then turned his attention back to the young prince._

_The prince flash stepped to the edge of the lake, then launched himself into the air, offering the other man a heartbreakingly lovely image of that perfect body, curved slightly and suspended for a moment, surrounded in the raindrops he so loved, before splashing down into the lake. His slim body cut easily through the water and he remained beneath the surface far longer than any but a water spirit could. He turned in the water, then shot upward and out, launching himself into the air and splashing down again. When he finally emerged from the lake, his proud chest heaved with exertion and his white flesh blushed all over._

_A little sound brought the prince’s head around and large blue eyes found the shaky form of a baby deer that wobbled on unsteady feet near the body of a fallen doe. He glanced at the castle, biting at his lips for a moment, then moved to the doe’s side, smiling as the fawn as he laid a warm palm on her unmoving mother._

_“It’s all right, little one,” he whispered, petting the creature’s rain dampened head with one hand while a glowing blue liquid welled up from his other hand and spread out over the doe’s body. The fallen deer quivered suddenly and the fawn backed away slightly, nearly tripping over its own feet. The prince caught the surprised deer under his arm._

_“Easy there,” he breathed, “She will be all right.”_

_He glanced back at the castle again._

_“I may not if he senses me disobeying him again.”_

_He smiled warmly, charming completely the concealed soldier crouching near him in the dripping brush, as the doe rose slowly, pausing to shake the rain from her body, then looking into the prince’s bright eyes for a moment before touching her nose to the fawn’s and coaxing her away. The prince remained kneeling at the edge of the water, warmth flooding his heart as he watched the two disappear into the distance._

_A short distance away, the watching soldier sensed the approach of the king’s reiatsu, and he shook his head and emerged, just as the monarch approached, giving the prince a moment to conceal himself._

_“Your majesty,” he said, bowing his head respectfully._

_“Kitaro,” the king greeted him, “have you seen my son?”_

_The soldier blinked slowly._

_“I believe he might have passed this way on his rounds,” he hedged cautiously._

_Kitaro flinched as the king turned and his eye fell on something on the shore of the lake. The monarch’s slow steps carried him to the side of the lake and he picked up the sodden item, holding the dripping yukata between his fingers and turning disapproving eyes on the calm, but slightly flushed soldier._

_“His rounds?” the king repeated, letting the garment fall, “Kitaro…”_

_“It’s not his fault,” the prince interrupted suddenly, stepping out into the king’s path and looking up at his father regretfully._

_His still naked body shivered at the king’s glare, but he stood quietly with his eyes fixed on his father’s._

_“I slipped out of the palace, using my powers to hide myself from anyone. I just…needed some fresh air.”_

_“You were due at the training grounds twenty minutes ago,” the king said sternly._

_“I’m sorry. I forgot,” the prince said apologetically._

_“Your training is at the same time every day, and my senses tell me that you were doing more than just getting a breath of fresh air, Taki.”_

_Kitaro started to take a step away from the two, but froze as the king addressed him._

_“Kitaro, please escort my son to his suite and see that he is dressed properly and attends his training session.”_

_“Yes, my lord.”_

_“Father…”_

_The king turned away, carefully hiding his regretful eyes as he answered._

_“No excuses, Taki. You must train faithfully…and you must remember…there are no healer kings. A king must be strong. He must be ready to fight and he must be willing to kill.”_

_Taki stood still, ignoring the rain that streamed down his pale face as his father walked away, leaving him alone with the quiet soldier._

_“Come, your highness,” Kitaro said gently, “We’d best be getting you inside.”_

Tetsuya’s eyes opened suddenly, still seeing the foggy remains of the dream he had been having and hearing the echoes of voices in his mind. He noticed quickly that Juushiro’s eyes were open as well, and watching him.

“Are you all right?” his husband asked softly, his eye straying to look at the nearby clock, “You seemed to wake suddenly. Was it a nightmare?”

Tetsuya sat up, shaking his head slightly.

“It wasn’t a nightmare exactly,” he mused, running his hands over his face, “It seemed like one of the myths I might have read while in the archives…something about gardens and a deer. Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“It’s fine,” Juushiro assured him, coaxing the younger man back into lying down on his chest and curling around him again.

Tetsuya’s eyes closed and his body relaxed under the gentle caress of the elder man’s hands.

“You seem more relaxed with me,” Juushiro observed, sinking his fingers into Tetsuya’s tumbled hair and bringing him closer for a tender kiss of greeting, then a longer, more passionate one.

“I trust you,” Tetsuya answered, breathing in his husband’s pleasant scent and blushing at the reaction he felt in his loins.

_It’s more than trust._

_I want you._

_I love the way you touch me._

_Why can’t I say it?_

Juushiro’s eyes darkened with concern as Tetsuya stiffened and his blue eyes went hazy for a moment.

_Tetsuya felt an unnatural warmth as he rose out of sleep. He felt inclined to shiver, knowing it was his wicked cousin’s body warming his, but Orochi’s scent was oddly pleasant and his hands caressed Tetsuya’s body blindly as he slept. His sleeping face looked so deceptively lovely that Tetsuya longed to touch it, despite knowing how his cousin would react. His hands moved, but barely, before he felt the bonds that held them secured to the headboard. He moved his face slightly closer, lured by their mingled scents and the memory of how, just before drifting off, Orochi’s hands had touched him more gently and his usually angry eyes had gone cloudy and almost vulnerable._

_“Orochi-sama,” he breathed, only able to say the words because his cousin was sleeping, “y-you are so…”_

_A shock went through his body as Orochi’s black eyes opened and darkened swiftly with anger. He shattered the kido holding Tetsuya’s slim wrists, then shoved him off the bed. Tetsuya crashed down onto the floor, but scrambled quickly to his feet._

_“Get out of here!” Orochi hissed, “I’m done with you, you filth!”_

“Tetsuya!” Juushiro’s voice called, snapping him out of the memory.

Tetsuya found himself sitting up and pressed hard against his husband’s side, his hands curled and stiffened in his lap, as though bound there.

“It’s all right,” Juushiro whispered into his ear, hugging him tightly, “Orochi can’t hurt you.”

Tetsuya’s eyes widened with increased panic.

“I…I called his n-name?” he asked shakily.

“Shh, it doesn’t matter. You can’t help when something that we do or say triggers a memory for you. Breathe a bit, all right?”

Tetsuya swallowed hard, shuddering as the coldness of the old prison seemed to invade his insides and fresh tears burned in his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he sobbed, burying his face in his husband’s bare shoulder, “I know you aren’t _him_.”

“I know,” Juushiro assured him, petting his hair and nuzzling a damp, flushed cheek, “It’s all right. I promise you, you will be fine, Tetsuya. We have to go through these things, and one by one, we will pass through them.”

“You must think I’m pathetic,” Tetsuya whispered in a choked voice, “It’s been so many years.”

“Come now, you know it isn’t the years that matter, Tetsuya,” the elder man said patiently, “You have not had a lover since you were with Naoki. You have not yet resolved your emotions about that loss, or about the awful things your cousin did to you.”

“I have been counseled,” Tetsuya said, giving him a confused look, “I understand what happened to me, and I know you will not hurt me…not ever.”

“You just need to give yourself time,” Juushiro advised him, lacing his fingers together with Tetsuya’s, “Don’t worry about my expectations. This is sudden for both of us. We can move slowly. Just let’s hold each other a bit, okay?”

Tetsuya gave him a guilt-ridden look, but managed a tentative nod.

“We will get through this, _anata_ ,” Juushiro promised, his green eyes looking down into Tetsuya’s affectionately, “I give you my word, we will.”

XXXXXXXXXX

Toshiro laid in bed, trying to drop off, but unable to quell the continuous rush of his thoughts. He slowed his breathing, trying in vain to empty his mind, but as soon as one thought faded, another invaded, until he realized the futility of the effort and abandoned his bed, pausing to tighten the belt at his waist before exiting his quarters and heading down the hallway. His sharp senses picked up Byakuya’s unsettled reiatsu somewhere outside the caves, near the protective barrier. He worked his way unhurriedly in that direction, well aware that if the Kuchiki leader was distracted, he was likely at fault, and not helping by interfering. Yet, when he felt Byakuya’s reiatsu find his, the feeling that he got was welcoming. He moved in Byakuya’s direction and found him in a little grove of trees, pondering the heavy barrier and stealing glances at what the blind taichou was sure must be an enchanting sky.

“Toshiro,” Byakuya acknowledged him as he made his approach, “I would think you would be sleeping by now.”

Toshiro smiled.

“With your reiatsu so disturbed and harassing me?” he teased.

“What do you expect after we spent so much time dancing at my cousin’s wedding?” Byakuya asked, pretending to frown, “I had no idea you were so light on your feet, or that formal dancing was something you would enjoy.”

“What I enjoyed was dancing with you,” Toshiro chuckled, slipping into his arms and meeting him for a long, penetrating kiss, “But, it feels like there’s more keeping you awake than just adrenaline. What’s bothering you? Is it about Tetsuya?”

“Hmm, I confess, it is,” Byakuya sighed, sliding a hand up the younger man’s back, curving it around the back of his head and sinking warm fingers into the short, wild spikes of white hair as they kissed several more times, “As much as their resonance requires them to marry now, I know Tetsuya is not ready.”

“Maybe he’s not,” Toshiro agreed, “but you know Ukitake taichou is a good, kind person. He’s perceptive about people. He’ll help Tetsuya through it.”

Toshiro sensed the brief hesitation before Byakuya answered.

“I’m sure he will. It makes sense that he would be the one, given their strong resonance. I just wish that I had been able to heal Tetsuya completely. I knew upon finding him that he was going to be changed by what he had experienced. I did try to make him comfortable, to offer him counseling and guidance, to make him strong, so that he would not be hurt again. But…there was that one place that I could not reach inside him. Tetsuya’s heart has long been buried, deep inside himself. As much as he is kind, thoughtful, well-adjusted, Tetsuya is afraid to love again.”

Toshiro’s expression betrayed more than a hint of skepticism.

“I think Tetsuya is not the only one who is afraid of him loving again.”

Byakuya let out a piqued breath and released the younger man. He turned away and looked up into the lovely night sky.

“I do not want him to be hurt.”

He paused and shook his head, guilt flooding his eyes.

“No, that’s not it either. The truth is, I regret that I am someone who also hurt Tetsuya.”

“You mean, because you interfered with his zanpakutou?” Toshiro asked, laying a hand on his shoulder, “Byakuya, it was wrong, but you were trying to do the right thing. And learning to fight has helped Tetsuya. You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself.”

Byakuya turned and curled his arms around Toshiro again, looking sadly down into the younger man’s blind, but breathtaking eyes.

“Shouldn’t I?” he asked, curving a palm around Toshiro’s cheek and teasing the pale flesh with his fingers, “Maybe if I had not interfered, Tetsuya’s powers would not have failed. He could have healed you.”

“He still can,” Toshiro said firmly, laying a hand over Byakuya’s, “Stop worrying so much about that. I’m handling things okay and we’re all just here recovering and waiting for it to be safe enough for us to go home. Byakuya, I’m going to see again. I know I am. I’m willing to be patient while we get to that point.”

Byakuya gave the younger taichou a look of genuine amusement.

“You are telling me to be patient?” he mused, “That is a little ironic, is it not?”

“Maybe a little,” Toshiro chuckled, leaning forward to kiss him.

There words gave way to a flurry of increasingly amorous kisses and Toshiro felt a sharp tickle inside as he sensed Byakuya’s power placing a privacy shield around them. The Kuchiki leader’s searching hands slipped beneath his yukata and one hand curved around his bottom to pull him in closer as the other teased his erect nipples, while Byakuya’s kisses gave way to amorous bites at his throat and shoulder. He pressed forward, trapping the younger man against a small tree and rubbing against his alert nether region as Toshiro moaned and moved his own hips to intensify the contact.

“Ah, Bya-kuya!” he panted, sweat breaking out on his forehead as the two continued to kiss and grind against each other.

Toshiro went breathless as Byakuya’s hand tugged on the tie at his waist, and he peeled away the yukata, baring the younger man’s slender body. The white-haired taichou loosed a gasp as Byakuya’s own clothing opened and their hot, flushed genitals came into direct contact. The elder man’s warm lips touched his ear and the words that escaped him set Toshiro’s heart skittering and racing.

“I want to make love to you, Toshiro. Do you want this also?”

“Y-yes!” Toshiro moaned, flushing more brightly at how quickly and emphatically he answered, “I do.”

Byakuya’s fingers tickled his lips and Toshiro’s mouth opened to accept them. He sucked hard, biting and licking the slender digits, bathing them in saliva before feeling them slide out of his mouth and down to his now painfully aroused nether region.

_Are we going to…? Right here? Standing?_

His hips bucked and writhed against Byakuya as the noble’s fingers invaded and very slowly prepared him. But however well prepared he might have been, there was nothing that could have prepared him for the maddeningly slow entrance Byakuya made into his body. Toshiro thrust his hips forward scandalously, moaning loudly into Byakuya’s mouth as the two began a series of hard, fast undulations. The Kuchiki leader’s hand curled around his thigh, lifting his leg to wrap around Byakuya’s slim waist.

_S-so hot!_

And even more enthralling than the heavy thrusts and melting heat were the almost hauntingly lovely sounds that Byakuya was making. And he found that when Byakuya moaned his name, he couldn’t hold back. A howl of pleasure issued from deep in his chest, and he would have been mortified, if not for the privacy shield Byakuya had placed around him. Toshiro’s knees weakened and he might have slid to the ground if he hadn’t been held so tightly by the Kuchiki leader’s strong arms. He gave himself over to an almost violent release, clinging to Byakuya tightly as the elder man shuddered and gasped, then loosed himself. The two collapsed beneath the tree, still clinging to each other and surrendering to a flurry of finishing kisses.

“Do you think you can sleep now?” Toshiro managed, when speaking was possible again.

“I will sleep,” Byakuya promised, “if you will join me in my quarters.”

Neither was sure how they managed to drag themselves onto unsteady legs before stumbling to Byakuya’s room, where they crashed down into an even more enthusiastic tangle. It was barely before dawn when the two were finally sated, and they drifted off into a drunken sleep together.


	17. Homecoming

Ichigo entered the quarters that he and Uryu had been given, and he found his quincy lover bent over a pack on the bed and carefully packing his things. He watched for a moment, noting the mix of sadness and weariness in Uryu’s blue eyes. Stepping forward, he cleared his throat, and Uryu’s head turned to look at him.

“Ichigo.”

“That’s no way to greet me,” Ichigo chided him, smirking and moving in behind the quincy to wrap an arm around him.

“Sorry, I’m just…looking forward to going home.”

“Don’t know why,” Ichigo said, shaking his head, “I guess it will be nice to be somewhere that isn’t destroyed. I feel bad for the shinigamis and the quincies whose homes were destroyed. At least we have something to go home to.”

“Right,” Uryu said, sounding unconvinced, “At least I was able to do something useful here.”

Ichigo nodded.

“Byakuya was grateful to you for the information you provided, and the advice about negotiations. And everyone thought that the clothes you made for Juushiro and Tetsuya were amazing. You really have a gift, Uryu.”

“I don’t know if I would call it that,” Uryu sighed, sitting down on the bed and looking quietly at his pack, “Dad called it a waste of time. I always kind of thought of it as a hobby.”

“Yeah? Well, Byakuya said that it beats most of the very highly paid tailors he knows. And you know that guy’s got serious connections.”

“I’m not that good,” Uryu complained.

“Sure you are,” Ichigo insisted, nuzzling his cheek, then stealing a kiss, “C’mon, now. Let’s go home, okay?”

Uryu gave him an appraising look.

“You’ve decided not to stay in Soul Society? You’re not going to claim your place in the Shiba family?”

Ichigo shrugged.

“Don’t know. Haven’t had time to think it through. I’m gonna go home and just be Kurosaki Ichigo for a little while. I can take awhile to think, but once I say something, I can’t take it back. I wanna be sure that speaking up is the right thing before I do it.”

“You’re not just holding back because of me, right?” Uryu asked, frowning.

“You holding back on becoming the quincy king because of me?” Ichigo teased him, “Of course you have something to do with it. If I can’t find a way to be their Shiba heir and be with you, then I’ll just stay in Karakura Town.”

“Ichigo,” Uryu objected, “You can’t…”

He found himself unable to speak as Ichigo’s hot, open mouth claimed his roughly, and the ginger haired man brought him down on his back on the bed.

“I love you, Uryu,” he managed between passionate kisses, “I’m not leaving you, not for anyone.”

“Well, I haven’t completely decided about the monarchy in the shadows,” Uryu said, biting at his lips anxiously, “There’s the problem of Nacht. I still have to deal with that.”

“You still listening in?” asked Ichigo.

“Some. I’ve already passed on that Nacht has put a price on Juushiro’s head and Tetsuya’s, mine, yours, and a bunch of others.”

“The guy’s a nut,” Ichigo scoffed.

“He may be a nut, but he’s got the noble lords under his thumb, and they’re all pretty pissed about what happened when they attacked the encampment.”

“Yeah, that didn’t quite go how they expected, ne?”

“You can say that again. Nacht was furious. But even though he was storming around, doing a lot of yelling, he seemed interested also in getting information on Juushiro’s recovery. He’s real focused on it…sending spies looking for information.”

Ichigo gave the quincy youth an impressed look.

“What’re the shinigamis gonna do, now that they’re best source of information is leaving?” he queried.

“I’m going to be in touch with them, via Urahara,” Uryu assured him, “It’s not good for anyone if we end up starting another war.”

“Right,” Ichigo agreed.

He looked around the nearly empty chamber, then back at Uryu.

“Ready to go?”

“Yeah,” Uryu said, slinging his pack over his shoulder and following Ichigo out the door, “Let’s go home.”

XXXXXXXXXX

Juushiro exited the cluster of protected caves in the Kuchiki encampment and walked out to where a group of soldiers and Kuchiki elders had gathered under a shelter of trees. Byakuya stood near the head of the group, examining a report and exchanging words with the elders, while Toshiro stood quietly at his side, listening carefully. Tetsuya had set himself a short distance away with Arashi and was calmly grooming the stallion while the others continued with the preparations. Smiling, Juushiro moved to join his husband, pausing to offer Arashi a fresh carrot. The stallion nickered and perked his ears, gently accepting the treat.

“So, I heard Byakuya assigned you to the advance guard going back to Kuchiki Manor,” he said, slipping an arm around Tetsuya and kissing him on the cheek.

Arashi observed the two out of the corner of one eye and gave a little equine snicker.

“Well, it would have seemed an insult to me to just take Arashi, so it’s more accurate to say I’m tagging along. You’re going with them, ne?”

“Yes,” Juushiro confirmed, “I will accompany the group to Kuchiki Manor, then after we visit the Kuchiki archive, I need to go and take a report on damage to my division’s headquarters. Shunsui is calling all of the taichous and fukutaichous in for damage assessment, although, most of the headquarters are in ruins. But, the work must be done.”

He smiled and patted Arashi, who turned his head to nuzzle the white-haired man.

“You two must be happy to be going home.”

“Maybe,” Tetsuya answered after a slight hesitation, “It’s going to be hard to see home if it has been badly damaged or destroyed. We haven’t been able to get a report on that yet. The way to the estate was only just reopened, so we don’t know what exactly we will find…only that the area has been cleared of quincy forces and the improved shakonmaku now also protects that area from direct invasion from the shadows.”

“Ah yes, I had heard that Uryu helped them adjust the shakonmaku to repel invasion. That is an important development.”

“Uryu’s assistance has been critical in shoring up security and setting the stage for our return.”

Tetsuya looked up as Byakuya’s voice rose slightly to address him.

“Tetsuya, if you and Juushiro will join us, we are ready.”

“Hai, Byakuya-sama,” Tetsuya answered.

He set down the brush he had been using on the stallion and mounted Arashi, then offered his spouse a hand. Juushiro mounted behind him and slipped his arms around Tetsuya, less to hang on and more to just be close to the younger man as the stallion moved to join the group about to depart. They took their place at the head of the group, alongside Byakuya’s tall paint, who carried the Kuchiki leader and Toshiro, who sat in front of him. They waited for a moment as an opening was made in the protective barrier, allowing them to pass through, then they headed into the forest, following a protected trail that would take them back to the manor.

Juushiro looked around, breathing in deeply and enjoying the bright blue sky that peeked through the maze of tree branches above them. Birds chirped and squawked and the nearby rush of a stream gave the environs a lazy, relaxed feel.

“It’s almost like the war didn’t happen around here,” Tetsuya said softly, letting his fingers play gently in Arashi’s long mane, “I am worried, though, about what we will find when we get back home. I know it’s bad.”

“Yes,” Juushiro agreed, “but the important thing is that we kept our people safe. Noble families in the Rukongai escaped direct attack, but all of the noble clans based in the Seireitei were not so fortunate. Ywach sent teams to directly assault the homes of the leaders.”

Tetsuya nodded.

“We were lucky enough to have a plan in place so that we evacuated ahead of the more direct invasion of the grounds, but there were some clans that were not as prepared. They suffered a lot of needless deaths as they tried instead of escaping, to defend their homes.”

“I think it’s probably because we had never been directly attacked inside the shakonmaku. The quincies cut right through that defense and they were strategically positioned to cause the most damage. We are lucky to have come out of this as well as we did.”

“We are,” Tetsuya agreed.

The two quieted, holding hands as Arashi followed the trail. They passed through several wide fields, pausing now and again to briefly check the still smoldering ruins of several properties. Tetsuya perked up notably as they arrived at the base of a little cliff near the manor, where a pretty waterfall rained down into his favorite lake. The group stopped to eat and rest in the meadow at the base of the cliff, before heading up a set of switchbacks that took them to the top of the waterfall, then onto the larger trail, leading to the back entrance to the main home and grounds.

Tetsuya bit his lip gently, a little shiver going through him as he spotted scuffs in the ground and breaks in the foliage, marking the passage of troops through the area. His heart sank as he noted the broken gates ahead of him and the lingering scent of fire. He managed a little smile as Juushiro hugged him from behind and kissed him under the earlobe.

At the back gate, Byakuya called a halt and dismounted, then he motioned for Tetsuya and Juushiro to join Toshiro and him. The four passed through the down gate and stepped into what had been the gardens, and Tetsuya’s breath caught at the horrific sight.

Ahead of the them, the main building and the surrounding structures had been reduced to a scattering of black, skeletal remains, unidentifiable as what they had once been. The koi ponds were cracked and empty, with the formerly brightly colored fish strewn on the ground and rotting. The vast majority of the lovely trees had been shattered or torn out of the ground and burned, the hedges as well, and all of the colorful flowers had been crushed. The enemy had turned and blackened the very ground, well aware that the manor gardens had been the most beautiful in the Seireitei.

“Byakuya,” Tetsuya whispered, tears filling his eyes.

His cousin’s hand touched his arm and he felt Byakuya’s sadness that matched his. Byakuya moved ahead of the others to the center of the ruined gardens, studying the damage quietly, then looking back at the others. Tetsuya heard his cousin’s voice speaking, but couldn’t make out the words as anger and indignation swelled in his chest and a flush of emotion rose all over his pale flesh. His heart pounded in his chest and the sound raged in his ears. His feet moved and he heard Juushiro say his name, but everything began to be washed out by the awful power that was building in his chest. Power blossomed suddenly in his spirit centers and he heard Byakuya and Juushiro shouting at him, but found he could no longer see them.

He felt his knees hit the hard, broken ground and he wasn’t sure if it was the wind or if he was the one screaming as blue light burned around him and his fingers clawed at the ground. He thought he heard Re-kuhime’s frantic voice sound in his mind, then everything gave way to a blinding whiteness the exploded around him.

“Don’t touch him!” Juushiro shouted in warning from somewhere near him.

He wondered if the sudden white power was devouring him, but although the power burned and raged, he remained on his hands and knees and barely able to breathe. Flash images of the gardens appeared in his mind and he heard Re-kuhime’s voice mixing with several others in his head. He saw flashes of a garden that was even more heavenly, a stormy sky, a fallen deer, a man with long black hair and green eyes. He heard a deeper voice, one that should have been familiar.

_“Don’t worry about me. Run for the soul well or you will be lost also!”_

_“I won’t leave you!” he called back._

_“You must go now!” the voice roared in his head, “Run now, my son, or everything is lost! Go!”_

Tetsuya heard a final burning hissing that filled his ears, and he felt a sudden weakness take over. He collapsed onto the ground, but was stricken by the softness and comforting scent of long green grass.

“My god,” Byakuya whispered, staring in shock as his cousin collapsed in front of them and they found themselves gazing at the fully restored gardens, only missing the presence of the now completely absent buildings.

“What in kami’s name…?” Toshiro whispered, sensing the area around him, “Byakuya, what the hell happened?”

Juushiro flash stepped to Tetsuya’s side, quickly kneeling at his husband’s side and rolling the young man onto his back.

“Is he all right?” Byakuya asked breathlessly.

“His reiatsu is down to nothing,” Juushiro reported worriedly, “But he is alive and he doesn’t seem hurt in any other way.”

“What was that power?” Toshiro mused, shaking his head, “It didn’t feel like Tetsuya’s reiatsu.”

“No,” Byakuya agreed, “This was wholly different.”

Juushiro leaned forward, frowning as he noticed Tetsuya’s still sheathed weapon. He removed the blade gently from Tetsuya’s hip and motioned for the others to join him.

“What is it?” Byakuya asked quickly.

“Look,” Juushiro replied, indicating the sword’s tsuba, “You know that it was tear shaped before.”

Byakuya gazed silently at the now rectangular shape of the tsuba, the cross that sectioned it into four. In one space, there was a drop of water. The three other spaces were empty. He extended his senses, trying to feel the spirit in the blade, but could make no connection.

“What happened?” Toshiro asked, frowning and sensing around them again, “When we entered, I sensed the damage. Now, I don’t sense the wreckage at all, and everything else seems like it was before the war.”

“He _healed_ the gardens!” Juushiro said in a wondering tone, looking around at the deep green grass, blossoming trees, bright flowers and the restored koi splashing in the pond.

The white-haired taichou exchanged wary glances with Byakuya.

“This is like what he did to save that boy before,” Juushiro went on, “Like what he did to save me.”

“Tetsuya was very connected to the gardens,” Byakuya recalled, “and as we arrived, I could feel the intensity of his distress over losing them.”

“There was barely any warning,” Juushiro added, “Just as though a door suddenly opened and the power blew through.”

Byakuya considered carefully, then nodded.

“We should bring the family healer to make sure he is all right,” he concluded, “and we’ll set up camp in the gardens.”

“What about the archive?” Juushiro asked, “I mean, I know it is not actually in this dimension, but the doorway in was part of the buildings that are now gone. How will you enter the archive?”

“It will require the very specific construction of a special physical door,” the Kuchiki leader answered, “If we begin now, it should be completed within a day.”

“I’m very interested in what we can find about powers like this,” Juushiro said, lifting Tetsuya into his arms and standing, “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

“Who has?” Toshiro added, shaking his head, “I mean, I’ve heard of shinigamis having healing ability that would allow them to heal plants as well as people and animals, but…”

“The sheer expanse of this, the fact that he affected the whole of the gardens all at once and instantly like that is…it is unprecedented,” Byakuya mused, “Add to that, the sudden alteration of his zanpakutou…”

He went quiet for a moment, then looked back at the other two men.

“I think that perhaps it would be best not to tell the others about this. His healer can know, but the nature of this power is something we need to explore carefully and protect.”

“You think this is a divine power,” Juushiro breathed softly, looking down at Tetsuya’s peaceful sleeping face.

“Don’t you?” Byakuya replied, “It is not any kind of ability that we usually see, and I noticed something else.”

Juushiro looked back at him questioningly.

“While that power was around him, it may have been a trick of the light or I may have simply been seeing wrong, but, Juushiro, you looked _different_ for a moment.”

“Different how?” the white-haired taichou asked.

Byakuya shook his head, looking confused.

“Black hair, a slightly larger build,” he recalled, “As I said, it was while the light was shining brightly. I could be wrong. Did you feel anything odd?”

Juushiro frowned.

“Nothing odd exactly,” he answered after a moment, “but Byakuya, I had the sense that this was not the first time I had seen him use this power.”

“He used it on you and that boy before, right?” Toshiro asked.

“That’s not what I’m talking about,” Juushiro said, his frown deepening, “It was almost like being in someone else’s body. It was like I was remembering things, but… _none of those things have ever happened to me_.”


	18. Prince's Samurai

_Tetsuya found himself wandering, lost amongst a heavy growth of plum and sakura, stymied by the lack of any trails to guide him and uncertain what direction he should take. He spotted a rushing stream and followed it on a steady incline, his blue eyes scanning all around as he went, looking for something, anything familiar. He thought he might have heard a twig crack somewhere behind him and froze, listening carefully._

_“Hello?” he called softly, “Is someone there?”_

_He felt as though someone should have been following in his wake. The gardens he was in should have been familiar to him. A thousand things were not as they should be, and yet he had no idea why. He had a vague sense that he should move in the direction of higher ground and he continued to follow the stream steadily upward._

_An odd hissing sound made him stop and look around again, and he felt sweat break out on his forehead._

_“Hello?” he called again._

_He closed his eyes and extended his senses, and was, almost at once, stricken with a tendril of terrifying blackness that reached out to him from somewhere ahead of him. An icy shiver went through his body, but he moved forward anyway, keeping slightly within the trees and watching the area around him closely. The odd black tendril curled around him, teasing him with smoky flashes of what seemed like memory, but lacked the heavier feeling of reality. Heavy mist began to swell around him, and Tetsuya shivered at the cold that seemed to sink beneath his flesh. He heard the sound of a child’s voice in his mind and paused to focus on it. A little shudder went through him as light flickered just ahead of him on a bank of mist and a doorway opened. He froze again, wary of being lured, but then, the child’s voice sounded again, light and carefree, talking, not to him, but to someone he seemed comfortable with. Someone he knew well. Curious, Tetsuya passed through the misted doorway._

_He found himself entering a carefully shielded room that held what looked like a huge golden well at the center. A tall, handsome, regal looking man sat beside it, crafting something light and smoky, as a little boy with wild black hair and large blue eyes watched._

_“You see,” the elder man said, holding up his shadowy creation, “this is a new soul. I craft it from a small bit of my reiatsu, then I breathe life into it and place it in the soul well.”_

_The little boy smiled and nodded._

_“The souls in the well are born into the living world or Soul Society,” the little boy added, sounding as though he was speaking a well learned lesson, “We keep the balance of souls as they move in an endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth, moving between the worlds.”_

_“Yes, Taki,” the elder man said, looking pleased._

_He worked quietly at another soul, but as he finished it, he made a sound of concern._

_“What is it, Papa?” the little boy asked, leaning forward to see._

_He sucked in a surprised breath as fire flashed around the newly made soul, then the soul hissed and a clawed hand slashed at the young prince. The king moved swiftly, extending a hand that opened a doorway he shoved the malevolent soul through, then shut it again. He turned to the boy, who had pressed up against him and was quiet, but shaking softly. The elder man’s hand caressed the boy’s cheek gently._

_“What was that…that thing?” Taki whispered._

_“It was an imperfect soul,” his father explained, “The souls we create are elememtals. Within each, we balance forces of air, water, earth and fire. But…sometimes the balance is imperfect. When that happens, the soul that forms is like the one you saw. When it happens, we must send it into the dimension I opened, the daemon rift. There, the imperfect souls cannot hurt us or the others like us, who are in balance. They are not harmed, for they cannot help what they are. But neither can they be allowed to stay here. They would hurt us. They could kill us, Taki. Do you understand?”_

_His teeth wanted to chatter as he answered, but the boy took a breath and forced his fears away before answering._

_“Yes, Papa.”_

_The elder man smiled and stood, swinging the boy up into the curve of one strong arm._

_“Come now, it’s time for you to meet someone.”_

_The boy’s father carried him out of the well room, to just outside the small shrine it stood within. He came to a stop and looked around, sensing the area._

_“Do you feel his presence?” the father asked, looking into his son’s blue eyes._

_Taki looked around questioningly._

_“He’s very good at hiding.”_

_Taki jumped down from his father’s arms and moved forward, using his senses carefully until he felt, rather than saw a tiny movement in the brush ahead of him. He sucked in a surprised breath as a tall, black haired man with lively green eyes stepped out to meet them. Taki pressed back against his father cautiously, but his father laughed gently and nudged him towards the strikingly handsome stranger. As he stumbled to a stop and looked upward, the sun shone around the man’s face, slightly obscuring it._

_“Taki, this man is called Kitaro. From now on, he is to be your own hogosha…he is your protector, Prince’s Samurai.”_

Tetsuya felt something cool and wet brushing against his face, and he woke to find himself in a comfortable bed, within a well apportioned room. The bright light in the room obscured the face of the one leaning over him, but he sensed immediately that it was Juushiro sitting quietly beside him on the bed. He looked up questioningly and received a relieved smile in response.

“You’re finally awake, _Tetsu-koi_ ,” Juushiro said in a welcoming tone, “I was worried about you.”

Tetsuya started to sit up, but felt a swell of dizziness and swayed unsteadily.

“Easy now,” his husband cautioned him, “Don’t move too quickly. You’ve been unconscious for more than a day, Tetsuya.”

“But, what happened?” Tetsuya asked, looking confused, “How did we get into the archive? I thought that everything was destroyed.”

“It was,” his husband confirmed in a softer, regretful tone, “but Byakuya had the door to the archive rebuilt, and a group of us came inside to search for information.”

Juushiro reached over to the nightstand and picked up a cup of tea, which he handed to his confused spouse.

“Tell me, what is the last thing you remember?”

Tetsuya took a little sip of the tea, then he closed his eyes for a moment, thinking.

“I remember entering the gardens,” he answered slowly, “Everything was destroyed. I was…angry and sad. I felt as though I had been impaled. I remember starting to fall, then everything went foggy. I dreamed a little, I think. There were gardens and people I knew in the dream, but I couldn’t tell you who they are now.”

“Do you remember any names?” Juuhsiro asked.

“No,” Tetsuya replied, taking a longer sip of the tea.

He paused and frowned.

“Wait…I remember _Ki_. I heard that. I don’t know if it was a name or not, but it feels familiar.”

Tetsuya looked around the room and breathed a more comfortable sigh.

“It’s good that something of our home couldn’t be taken away,” he said softly.

“Yes,” Juushiro agreed, “We’ve been searching here for information that might explain your powers.”

“What powers?” Tetsuya asked, frowning discontentedly, “I haven’t had any powers since I healed Arata-kun. I’ve been mostly useless to Byakuya or anyone else.”

Juushiro gave him a curious look.

“What?” Tetsuya asked, frowning and shaking his head, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Do you feel well enough to walk?” the elder man asked.

“I think so,” Tetsuya answered.

Juushiro helped him to his feet and carefully adjusted the tie at the younger man’s waist.

“Where are we going?” Tetsuya asked anxiously, “I’m not dressed!”

“There is something that you need to see,” Juushiro said, pulling gently at his arm.

He led Tetsuya out of the room and into the archive, where Byakuya and several others were working at a pile of references. Byakuya looked up and stood as he spotted his cousin.

“You are awake,” he said, looking pleased, “Are you all right, Tetsuya?”

“I’m fine,” Tetsuya said, his frown deepening, “But I’m a little confused.”

“I was going to take Tetsuya outside,” Juushiro explained, “He doesn’t seem to remember what happened yesterday.”

“Hmm,” Byakuya mused, stroking his chin, “Then, it is best for him to see. Please come and see me after.”

“We will,” Juushiro promised.

He led his stymied partner to the archive door and the two passed through and exited into the restored gardens. Tetsuya’s feet stopped and he stared at the gardens in surprise.

“They were able to restore the gardens _in a day_?” he asked in a shocked tone.

“No, love,” Juushiro said, curling an arm around him, “ _You_ were the one who restored the gardens yesterday, and it only took you a moment.”

“What?” Tetsuya objected, looking around at the perfectly restored trees, grass, flowers and brush, “Juushiro, that’s just not possible! I couldn’t have…”

“But you did,” his white-haired mate assured him, “Byakuya, Toshiro and I all witnessed it. One moment, we were standing in the ruined gardens, and then, you fell to your knees and your power spread out around you and rebuilt everything, exactly as it was.”

“But…” Tetsuya managed in a bewildered voice, “I don’t feel anything! No power at all! I don’t remember doing anything! How could I…?”

“I know I felt your healing power,” Juushiro explained, turning to face Tetsuya and taking his hands, “It was the same feeling I had when you healed me, when you healed that boy. _Tetsu-koi_ , I know you are not in control of this ability, but Byakuya and I agree that you are showing signs of divine power.”

“Divine power?” Tetsuya repeated in a haunted tone.

“We have been searching for answers, but we haven’t found anything that explains it yet. Still, the evidence is here, in the gardens, in Arata, in me. You are a divine healer, Tetsuya. And I am sure now that the story that my mother used to tell me has some kind of connection to what is happening here.”

“You think so?” Tetsuya asked, looking down at their joined hands.

“Yes, I really think so,” his husband assured him, “When I was so ill as a child, my mother used to hold me in her arms and she used to tell me, over and over, that I shouldn’t worry, that there was hope, that there was a healer with the talent to completely heal me. And she swore that they would find him and I would be cured. She told me a story about a healing spirit who wanders through the Rukongai, looking for souls beyond hope and offering them healing that can’t be explained by anyone.”

“And…you think _I_ am this healer?” Tetsuya mused, “But I don’t…”

“You know that old stories that have been told repeatedly will always change over time,” his elder mate continued, “so while the basic facts remain the same, the details change. The main facts of what she told me are that there is a healer who can cure anyone, that he is a divine soul, and that he was somehow cursed to wander, looking for someone.”

“That isn’t much to go on,” Tetsuya sighed.

“No,” Juushiro agreed, “but it is a start. We haven’t found anything yet, but Byakuya says that there are plenty of places to look.”

“Then, shouldn’t we be helping him?”

Juushiro gave him a reproving look.

“Your reiatsu is still barely readable,” he said with a touch of sternness, “and it is your cousin’s order that we focus on you while they conduct the search. We’ll go back inside and talk to him. There’s something else Byakuya and I want to show you, and then you will rest some more.”

“But I’ve already slept for an entire day,” Tetsuya objected.

“And it hasn’t made a dent in restoring your reiatsu,” Juushiro insisted, “Tetsuya, obviously something unprecedented is going on inside us. And if you will come with me, you will see just how serious this has become. I need to ask you to trust me on this. I know you want to be doing something, but taking care of yourself comes first.”

Tetsuya bit his lip gently and nodded in acceptance.

“Come,” Juushiro urged him, lacing together the fingers of one of their hands.

At his touch, Tetsuya stiffened inexplicably, his eyes widening as he seemed to se another person for a moment, a taller man with black hair and darker, but still gentle green eyes. He blinked in confusion as the image seemed to shift and he saw Juushiro again.

“Are you all right?” Juushiro asked, moving closer and holding him as he swayed unsteadily.

“I…I don’t know,” Tetsuya said uncertainly, “For a moment, it felt like…like I was seeing someone else. Then, it was you again.”

Juushiro wrapped his hands gently around Tetsuya’s forearms and gazed more deeply into his eyes.

“Tell me what he looked like.”

“H-he was taller and had…”

“Black hair?” Juushiro finished.

Tetsuya’s eyes rounded.

“Yes!”

“And eyes like mine?”

“Yes! How did you know?” Tetsuya asked urgently.

“Yesterday, when you healed the gardens, Byakuya said that, for a moment, I seemed to change. He wasn’t sure, because the light was shining so brightly around us, but he seems to have seen the same person you did. This is good news, Tetsuya. We are getting closer. Come, we should go to Byakuya now. Are you okay?”

“I feel better. Yes,” Tetsuya assured him, accepting his hand and following him through the reconstructed door and back into the archive.

They found Byakuya seated at one of the desks, poring over one of the black, leatherbound leader diaries. He looked up as they sat down beside him.

“Juushiro, Tetsuya. You have spoken about what happened in the gardens?” Byakuya asked.

“Yes,” Juushiro affirmed, “I think Tetsuya is ready to see it now.”

“To see what?” asked Tetsuya, shaking his head, “There is more? I did more than heal the gardens?”

“This is not something that you did,” Byakuya explained, reaching down to retrieve something from the stand by his desk, “It is something that happened when you used your healing power. Do you recognize this blade?”

Tetsuya stared in stunned silence as Byakuya drew the blue steel sword that mostly looked familiar, but radiated with unfamiliar reiatsu.

“No,” he whispered, “The blade looks like mine, but…”

“This is Re-kuhime,” Byakuya said solemnly.

“Or…it was before you healed the gardens,” Juushiro finished, “After you collapsed, we found that the tsuba had changed.”

Byakuya handed the unsheathed blade to Tetsuya, who examined the tsuba more closely, then closed his eyes, trying to feel the sword spirit’s presence.

“Can you feel her presence?” asked Byakuya, “Anything at all?”

Tetsuya breathed slowly and remained silent for several long minutes. Finally, he sighed and opened his eyes to meet theirs.

“No, I’m sorry,” he apologized, “I feel something there, but…it doesn’t feel right. Byakuya-sama, what is happening? Do you think she is…gone?”

Byakuya took the blade from him and turned it to display the raindrop marking on the tsuba.

“No, I think she is still in the blade, but I also think that Re-kuhime is not the whole of your sword spirit, much as your powers until now were not the whole of your powers. Your understanding of who you are and what power you wield is what is causing this rift between you and this blade. I believe that the answer to all of these things lies in this legend that Juushiro was told as a child.”

“Then, you believe I am the divine healer of that myth?” Tetsuya asked.

“Yes,” Byakuya confirmed, “And I also believe that Juushiro is the person that spirit was seeking. But there is a greater question now. Why were you seeking him? Obviously, healing him was important, but divine power, intervention that prevents death, these things never appear without a reason. Something is happening, something we do not yet understand. Tetsuya, you and Juushiro must make every effort to embrace and master your power. You must try to remember why it was important for you to use it to find and heal Juushiro. If something is about to happen, you must prepare yourselves to face whatever it might be.”


	19. True Fate

In a meeting chamber in Silbern palace, deep within the shadows, a group of twelve noble lords gathered around a large table. They spoke in low voices, all of them listening for the expected approach of the leader who had restored their lands and wealth.

“You have any idea what he’s planning, Bazz-B?” a young man with a meticulously groomed appearance asked his taller, wilder looking counterpart.

“Nah,” Bazz snorted, slouching in his chair and looking down at his hands, “Just hope that whatever it is, it’s better than his brilliant idea to attack the Kuchiki compound. That went well.”

“It’s nice you can joke about it,” his neater comrade said disapprovingly, “He put all of us survivors at risk, and worse, we were embarrassed completely.”

“Well, embarrassed is better than dead, right, Ancel?”

“I guess you would know that,” the other man agreed, “Speaking of which, how Haschwald doing? Has he shown any signs of waking?”

A shadowed look entered Bazz-B’s eyes and he stiffened slightly and shook his head.

“Not really. He gets restless, talks in his sleep. Can’t get a read on which way he’ll go. He seems to have some shitty dreams, though. Keeps mumbling something about a monster in the castle.”

Bazz-B smirked.

“I don’t know, maybe he’s talking about that shitbag, Nacht.”

“That shitbag, as you call him did help us get our wealth back after Ywach’s death,” Ancel reminded him, “He has formed a working leadership and calmed the citizens. He may have done so for his own reasons, but then, we do have checks we can use if he becomes troublesome.”

“You mean, if he gets reckless and risks us all getting killed again?” Bazz snickered, “If Ukitake has regained the kind of power you guys saw him use, then you know the shinigamis are stronger than we are and the next time he challenges them could be the last.”

“So, we will hope that his latest scheme is better than his last,” Ancel concluded, “And if not, we will work on plans to replace him.”

The two looked up as footsteps sounded and Nacht appeared in the chamber doorway.

“You’d better not let him hear you planning a mutiny,” Bazz-B whispered, “The bastard’ll kill you without batting an eye.”

Ancel’s lips tightened, but he nodded barely perceptibly, then turned his attention to Nacht as the quincy Kaiser called the meeting to order.

“Greetings, lords and ladies,” Nacht said solemnly, “I have called you here to inform you about a new development that may help us in our plans.”

“Whatever it is,” Bazz-B said sternly, “it needs to be open and shut before we involve ourselves. I don’t think I need to say why.”

“Of course not,” Nacht answered, giving the redhead a dark look, “What happened at the Kuchiki encampment was unfortunate, but I think all of you will agree that what I have learned will be pivotal in the plan to recapture the throne and end the insult to us that is known as the shinigami.”

“It sounds impressive,” Ancel said, glancing at Bazz-B warningly, “What have you learned?”

Nacht moved to the head of the table and touched several buttons, causing three dimensional images to appear at the center of the table.

“If you will look at the display, you will see that we have re-established contact with the devices our forces placed in the royal realm while they were in control. Squad Zero was able to find and destroy most of them, but we have a few that are usefully placed so that we can see and hear things. In addition to this, there is one sun gate that the shingiamis have not found.”

“You don’t think we’re going to just run in there and try to take over…” one of the other lords mused aloud.

“We will not go in recklessly,” Nacht assured them, “We will focus on spying for now. In fact, we have already uncovered something interesting.”

He turned his gaze onto Bazz-B.

“I rather wish we could make some progress with Haschwald soon. I have questions about some things we have seen.”

“Like what?” Bazz-B asked, crossing his arms.

Nacht touched several buttons and the image at the center of the table changed to show the silhouette of a young man next to a golden well, his hand extended toward a glowing doorway.

“This is an image sent back of a painting that the Squad Zero taichous were talking about. Their comments seemed to indicate that there is something dangerous in the palace.”

“A _monster_?” Bazz-B inquired, making Nacht’s gaze intensify.

“Haschwald knows something?” he asked quickly.

“He might,” Bazz affirmed, “but the way he is, we may never know what it is that he knows.”

“Hmm,” the Kaiser mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, “He needs healing.”

“Our healers can’t do shit for him,” Bazz-B said sullenly, “That human girl who found us and healed me tried, but she couldn’t heal him. He’ll either get better or he won’t.”

Nacht considered his words quietly for a moment.

“This is not the first time that the girl has not been able to heal someone, who was later healed by a more powerful healer,” he commented.

He slammed his hand down onto a button, making an image of Ukitake in bankai appear, with Tetsuya’s shadowy form in the background.

“We need to know what Haschwald knows,” he said stiffly, “I want all of you to use whatever means you have to see that Kuchiki Tetsuya is brought here to heal him.”

Bazz-B made an instant sound of derision, earning a glare from Nacht.

“You try to take Kuchiki Tetsuya and Ukitake is going to kill you this time, unless, of course, you make sure some children are around to protect you from having to fight him.”

“So,” Nacht said evenly, “if Ukitake is determined to protect Tetsuya, bring him here too.”

“You’re fucking nuts,” Bazz-B growled, “I’m outta here!”

He stood, making his seat crash to the floor and stomped out of the chamber, leaving Nacht gazing quietly at the remaining lords.

“Ancel,” he said calmly, “I want you to continue to watch Bazz-B closely. If he threatens our mission, kill him.”

He glanced at the councilor sitting beside Ancel and nodded.

“Gaufrid,” he addressed the young lord, “what is the status of your and Eva’s mission?”

“The mission was successful,” the blonde man replied, smirking, “Ishida Uryu has been neutralized.”

“You didn’t kill him?”

“No, but let’s put it this way. He won’t be spying anymore for awhile.”

“Good,” Nacht said approvingly, “Maybe you two can turn your efforts towards acquiring Ukitake and Kuchiki.”

“Of course,” Gaufrid replied, his black eyes glittering, “Consider it done.”

XXXXXXXXXX

Ichigo stood for a moment in front of his home, pondering quietly before laying a hand on the doorknob and turning it. He sensed the coming attack and stepped aside, letting his howling father crash to the ground at his feet. Ishhin groaned and looked up at him, smiling crookedly.

“Welcome home, Ichigo.”

“Hey Dad,” Ichigo said, smiling down at his father in amusement, “Good to see you.”

“Ugh!” Isshin grunted, climbing to his feet and facing his ginger-haired son, “Nice to see you too. So…make a decision yet?”

“No,” Ichigo answered, lowering his eyes for a moment, “I need to think about it. I need to think a lot.”

“Sure,” Isshin said, nodding, “no rush, kid. You take all of the time you need.”

“And it really doesn’t matter to you which way I decide?” Ichigo asked, kicking aimlessly at the brick border along the walkway.

“Hey, I just wanted there to be a choice for you. You want a simple life, take it. You want to be their noble heir, you can be. You’re not trapped, Ichigo. You may not like what I did, holding back on you like that, but it did make sure no one would decide for you.”

“Yeah,” Ichigo agreed, “it did. Thanks, I guess.”

The two looked up as a swish of quincy hirenyaku sounded on the walkway and a man appeared.

“Uryu…” Ichigo began.

He stiffened as he spotted Uryu’s white-haired father instead. Isshin perked instantly, a sly grin coming to his lips until he saw the quincy’s serious expression.

“What is it, Ryuu?” Isshin asked, taking on a more serious look, “Something’s wrong, right?”

“Yes,” the quincy doctor affirmed, “I’ve just come from the hospital. I thought that Ichigo would want to know that Uryu has been admitted.”

“What?” Ichigo exclaimed, a look of alarm taking over his face, “What happened to him? Is he all right?”

“I wouldn’t be here if he was all right,” Ryuuken said sternly, “I left Sado and Orihime watching over him, and two of your shinigami friends, Renji and Rukia, are on guard at the hospital.”

“But, what happened?” Isshin pressed, “Is he sick? Hurt?”

“He is unconscious and nothing that any of us can do is waking him. Someone used a quincy power to place him in this state.”

He turned hardened blue eyes onto Ichigo.

“I want you to tell me what my son was doing that angered them!”

“What he was doing?” Ichigo repeated, looking confused, “The quincies saw him at the Kuchiki compound. They heard him trying to head off violence between us and them.”

Ryuuken’s expression darkened.

“You mean, he exposed himself as a traitor?” he asked angrily.

“Uryu’s no traitor!” Ichigo snapped, clenching his hands into fists, “He was trying to avoid either side taking any more damage. The quincies have gotta know that!”

“What they _know_ is that Uryu abandoned his role as their king and Nacht is now the one they listen to. I don’t think they are reading his actions in the light you are.”

“Probably not,” Isshin admitted, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck.

“What do you want from me?” asked Ichigo, his brown eyes holding an edge of challenge and mistrust.

“I want to be sure that you don’t meet with the same fate as my son,” Ryuuken said, meeting Isshin’s eyes meaningfully.

“Why do you care what happens to me?” Ichigo demanded, “I’m on the side of the shinigamis. You know that.”

“I know, but it doesn’t matter.”

“Since when?” Ichigo said guardedly.

“Since you are my son’s lover,” Ryuu said, turning away.

Isshin let out an amused breath and stifled a little snicker.

“Like father like son, eh?” he whispered, watching and grinning as Ryuuken disappeared in a quick hirenyaku step.

“Shut up!” Ichigo snapped, “I’ve gotta go.”

“Okay, I’ve got things covered here,” Isshin said in a more solemn tone, “I hope Uryu’s all right.”

Ichigo let out a flustered breath.

“Thanks, Dad,” he said, disappearing in a swift flash step.

“Whatever you need, Ichigo,” the elder Kurosaki breathed, looking in the direction his son had gone, “Always. I owe Masaki that.”

XXXXXXXXXX

Tetsuya looked up from where he knelt on his bed, as the bedroom door opened and Juushiro entered, carrying a tray of tea and snacks for the two of them.

“This ought to take the edge off,” Juushiro chuckled, “Have you made any progress?”

“No, not really,” Tetsuya admitted, “but I did manage to gather some reiatsu and make a kido ball.”

“Good,” Juushiro answered, approvingly, “Your powers are returning.”

“Mmhmm,” Tetsuya confirmed, “although I sense a difference in my reiatsu. It may be that I am using my true power now.”

“That is probably it,” the elder man agreed, setting down the tray and sliding onto the bed next to Tetsuya.

Smiling warmly, he curled an arm around Tetsuya, bringing him in for a long kiss of greeting. Tetsuya met his mouth eagerly, returning his affections with equal fervor. He remained relaxed as his husband opened their clothing and the two embraced more intimately.

“Would you like to try entering your inner world again,” Juushiro asked, “I was thinking that since we are true resonants, trying together might help.”

Tetsuya considered for a moment, then nodded in acceptance. He lifted the blade by the hilt and held it, tip down as Juushiro joined his hand with the one that held the sword. At his touch, the sword flashed brightly and the two men crashed down into something that felt to both like memory.

_Taki knelt alone in front of his mother’s grave, tears sliding down his face and his slender body shivering with emotion._

_“I’m sorry,” he apologized, “I am trying, Mom, but all I do is make him angry at me. I came of age today, and it should have been a day I made him proud. But I couldn’t do that. He doesn’t understand. I’m not like him. I’m not a soldier…a fighter…a king. I am a healer…l-like you! He told me that’s why I will fail…and the kingdom will fall!”_

_“Your father is wrong,” Kitaro’s voice said quietly from where the elder man watched from behind him._

_Taki stiffened, but said nothing, only trying to discreetly wipe his eyes as his hogosha approached him and laid a hand on his shoulder._

_“He became self aware amidst a sea of chaos that things were before he crafted our worlds. He is a fighter, because that is what our worlds needed at the time. It’s all he knows, Taki. This is why you clash.”_

_“But he’s right, isn’t he?” Taki asked, staring at his mother’s headstone, “My mother died because she wasn’t a fighter. It could be like he says, couldn’t it? I will fail? The worlds will fall?”_

_Kitaro smiled gently and slipped an arm around the younger man, bringing him to his feet._

_“The worlds are not going to fall, just because you are a healer,” he chuckled, “You are a healer because that is what is needed, or will be needed when you become king.”_

_“Do you really believe that?” Taki asked, calming as Kitaro’s warm fingers brushed the misbehaving black hairs out of his eyes._

_“I do,” Kitaro said with certainty, “Come now. I have a birthday gift for you, your highness.”_

_Takis lips curved into a smile and he followed his hogosha to a small, secluded glen that Taki often used to escape from the palace._

_“Close your eyes.”_

_Taki’s blue eyes closed and he felt the little fall of something around his neck._

_“You can look now.”_

_Taki’s eyes opened and he gazed down at the dark blue, heart shaped stone that hung on a black cord around his neck. He admired the sparkles beneath the polished surface and the silver wire that had been curved around it to hold it in place._

_“It’s beautiful, Kitaro!” the prince exclaimed, “Heartstone, the most powerful healing stone.”_

_“I thought you would like it,” Kitaro said, leaning forward slightly to examine the piece._

_Taki’s head turned slightly and they found their faces close together. Taki swallowed hard, a little tickle teasing the inside of his chest and belly as they remained frozen. Kitaro started to move, threatening to break the spell that had fallen over them, but the prince leaned forward suddenly and pressed his lips to the other man’s. Kitaro’s hands wrapped around Taki’s arms in protest, but he found he couldn’t push the young man away. Lights seemed to explode behind his eyes and he found himself kissing the younger man back. They kissed passionately several times before he pulled away and took the prince’s face in his hands._

_“We must stop,” he said quietly, “Your father will not approve. He already thinks I am not stern enough with you. He will have me sent away.”_

_“I won’t let that happen,” Taki said, touching his fingers to his chest, just over his heart and drawing out a sliver of his precious life force, “and neither will you…right Kitaro?”_

_The hogosha stared in silence, frozen in place with uncertainty at what the prince intended._

_“You love me. I feel it. I have felt that for a long time, Kitaro. If you don’t, only tell me and I’ll stop. But if you truly love me, then be with me. Bind yourself to me in a way he can’t unbind!”_

_“The king hates defiance,” Kitaro whispered, staring at Taki’s beautiful, powerlit face and feeling a heavy vibration of resonance building in his chest, “Taki…”_

_“You always tell me the truth,” Taki persisted, moving forward and looking down at the elder man’s unmoving hand, “Tell me the truth now, Kitaro. Do you love me?”_

_The hogosha knew the answer he should give, but he couldn’t bring himself to lie. He raised slightly shaking fingers to his breast, drawing out a strand of his life force and touching it gently to the strand that the prince held. The two strands moved, winding themselves together, then fading as the two men met for a longer, deeper kiss. They collapsed beneath the trees, on a thick carpet of grass, with the pretty scents of rushing water and sweet flowers lulling them. Taki’s soft laughter charmed the elder man as Kitaro insisted on surrendering himself._

_“You are prince of the realm,” he said respectfully._

_Taki laughed again, smilingly taking the upper position and treating his hogosha to a resounding display of his intense affections that left Kitaro breathless and spent in the prince’s arms._

_“I do love you,” he whispered._

_“I know,” Taki said, shifting his weight and positioning himself to receive his hogosha’s intimate reply._

_“Taki,” Kitaro objected, “you are prince…”_

_Taki’s fingertips touched his lips to stop him, and the prince grinned._

_“In all things, there must be balance,” he whispered back, slowly taking his lover’s reawakening member into his body, “Isn’t that right, Kitaro?”_

_His voice refused to sound enough to answer, so he offered his royal lover a deflowering so affectionate, so spellbinding that neither needed words to say what was between them._

Tetsuya came back to awareness suddenly and found himself naked and sweating all over, collapsed on his husband’s equally naked body and still joined with Juushiro. He sat up quickly, disentangling himself and staring, white-faced at Juushiro, who sat up and reached calming fingers to gently caress his distressed partner’s.

“D-did I hurt you?” Tetsuya asked shakily.

“No,” Juushiro replied calmly, stroking Tetsuya’s hand, “It looks as though I penetrated you as well. Did I hurt you, Tetsuya?”

Tetsuya shook his head and curled into his husband’s arms.

“I’m sorry if this frightened you,” Juushiro apologized, “I didn’t know it would happen.”

“Neither did I,” Tetsuya admitted, “But…even though we didn’t intend it, I am…relieved it happened. I was afraid before, but now I understand.”

He gave Juushiro a haunted look.

“You saw it too. Kitaro and Taki?” he asked softly.

“I saw it too,” Juushiro agreed.

“Then, you know,” Tetsuya added worriedly, “Juushiro, what we saw…is not the history of the soul king as we know it! If this is the truth, then everything we were told about the king is a lie!”


	20. So, we meet again...

Byakuya sat quietly at his dark cherry wood desk within the Kuchiki archive, poring over one of a stack of references while Toshiro assisted two family attendants who were scouring the shelves for something more. His frown deepened as he turned the pages of the book, set it down and picked up the next. He had searched for several hours already, but had nothing to show for his efforts. He looked at the book in front of him and scanned the pages swiftly, then sighed wearily and set is aside in favor of another. He didn’t notice Toshiro heading towards him with several more books the attendants had found, to add to the pile, and he startled slightly as his lover stumbled and dropped the books onto the others clumsily.

“S-sorry,” Toshiro apologized, catching himself on the edge of the desk, “I’m usually pretty good at judging things with my senses now, but I make a mistake now and then.”

“You function exceptionally well for someone whose vision has been affected so recently,” Byakuya complimented him, “Do not worry about it, _anata_.”

Toshiro ran a hand over his face and dropped into a chair beside Byakuya as the Kuchiki leader scoured the books in front of him.

“You’re not finding anything?” Toshiro asked.

“Nothing at all,” Byakuya answered in a frustrated tone, “Even if this is a local myth, we should be able to find something, some mention in the more detailed mythological texts. It isn’t safe yet for us to travel from here into the Rukongai, as we would have to pass through several active areas to reach it. We may have to wait until the eastern path out is cleared.”

“But I can see that you feel there’s an urgency to finding out more about Tetsuya’s power.”

“Yes,” Byakuya agreed, “but not just Tetsuya’s. Juushiro too has demonstrated a power that, not only borders on transcendent, it is one that specifically used Tetsuya in it’s application. Everything in me tells me that it is no coincidence, and that there is a reason all of this is happening now. We need to get to the bottom of this, and my instincts tell me it needs to be soon.”

The sound of one of the nearby bedroom doors opening made the two men look up. They spotted Juushiro and Tetsuya emerging from their room, still dressed in their nightclothes, holding hands and wearing worried expressions. But as he prepared to greet him, a hell butterfly arrived and paused in front of him.

 _Byakuya_ , Ichigo’s voice said in a anxious tone, _I thought you should know that Uryu has been attacked by what his father believes are quincies under Nacht’s command. Uryu is unconscious and can’t tell us who they were exactly, but the reiatsu is definitely quincy reiatsu, and whoever it was, they hit him with something powerful, and they did it using stealth. I’m guessing they learned he was spying on them and they wanted to stop him. Uryu’s father is working on waking him, but he said he doesn’t know how long it could take. Renji and Rukia are on watch at the hospital and Orihime is helping, so there’s nothing else we can really do but wait. I’ll contact you if there are any changes._

Byakuya paused to think for a few moments, then touched the hell butterfly to send a reply.

_Ichigo, I hope that Uryu recovers quickly. Please tell Rukia and Renji to remain at the hospital for as long as you need them._

“That’s not good news,” Toshiro mused, frowning.

“No,” Byakuya agreed, “Ishida Uryu’s intelligence has been extremely helpful in our defense. This makes things more difficult.”

He sighed and shook his head in frustration, then looked up at Juushiro and Tetsuya.

“But, you two look as though you have something to tell me. What is it?”

Juushiro nodded.

“Tetsuya was trying to enter his inner world, and I thought that since we are bonded, we should try entering together, to see if that would help things.”

“Something happened when you made your attempt?” Byakuya inquired.

“Yes,” Tetsuya informed him, “We did not enter my inner world, but the two of us together saw a vision. It was vivid. It felt like a memory.”

“In this vision,” Juushiro added, “I was seeing things from the point of view of a soldier, a prince’s hogosha named Kitaro.”

“And I was seeing things from the point of view of a prince named Taki. He was a healer, and heir to the soul king’s throne.”

“But, how could that be memory,” Toshiro objected, “There’s never been mention of a Prince Taki in the royal line. The king had no heirs when he fell ill and weakened. He died childless.”

“That is the indication in every history I have ever studied,” Byakuya affirmed, “But, let’s put that aside for now. Please continue. Tell me about what you saw together.”

“It was my…erm, Taki’s coming of age,” Tetsuya recounted, “but he had had a falling out with his father and was alone at his mother’s grave. Kitaro arrived and comforted him, then he gave Taki a gift, a blue heartstone pendant, and…well, they became intimate.”

“I spoke for awhile with Tetsuya before we came to talk to you,” Juushiro explained, “and although he couldn’t give me specific details, it seems that ever since healing me, Tetsuya has been having episodes where he sees bits of Taki’s life.”

“And it always feels as though it is memory,” Tetsuya added, “At first, I could not remember the visions after, so I didn’t realize what I was seeing. It wasn’t until Juushiro and I attempted to enter my inner world that our minds joined and we saw this vision that we both feel is memory.”

Byakuya frowned and studied the stack of histories near him for a moment.

“This is troubling,” he said finally, “because if it is true, then it means that the history recorded in these other references is false.”

“I think we’re all aware that sometimes history is changed by powerful people, who control what is recorded,” Juushiro noted.

“Yes,” Byakuya agreed, “But the Kuchiki family would have been involved in the process of laying down that history. There would have been some whisper. I would be able to find some material with an alternative story, if that was the case. That there is no written evidence, that the only hint is in local mythology suggests that either there is an enemy to the throne on a level we cannot hope to counter…or the interference was wrought by the king, himself.”

“The king,” Toshiro breathed worriedly, “Why would the king erase the history of his son?”

Byakuya’s frown deepened and he bit his lip gently.

“I cannot guess at the king’s reasons, if he is the one who did this, but he or a diabolically powerful enemy of the royal realm would be the only ones who could shift reality on this level…to the point where written record is changed and yet, there is no way to detect that the change occurred. A king might do such a thing if he has several heirs and one first in line for the throne defies him to the point of being disowned…”

“But the idea of the king doing this to cover the existence of an only heir suggests that he saw something with his future vision and felt it was necessary to do this,” Juushiro posited.

“The fact that there is a verbal record means that if he did this, he wanted the truth to emerge, just not at that time. He may have been protecting his heir for some reason,” Byakuya suggested.

“But, how do we find out whether it was the soul king or an enemy?” Tetsuya asked anxiously.

“And how do we approach this with Central 46 or Squad Zero if someone amongst one or the other might have information we don’t, and could have a motive to stop our investigation?” asked Juushiro.

“We need to approach this quietly,” Byakuya said sternly, “As a high noble lord, I have access to restricted materials in Central 46. I can make some inquiries there, careful ones through trusted sources. At least, I can if those sources are still living.”

“That’s right,” Juushiro said, frowning and rubbing his chin, “Central 46 was attacked directly during the war. There were many killed there. That’s why we are still under martial law.”

“The way to Central 46 is still dangerous, so I will take my spirit steed and I think Toshiro and Torio will need to come along as well. If we are challenged, we need to return here immediately for our safety.”

“While you are gone, Tetsuya and I will continue to try to recall what we can.”

“We are not in control of the memories,” Tetsuya explained, “They come and go. I don’t know if we’ll be able to see at will.”

“Maybe not,” Byakuya agreed, “but it does not hurt to try. Still, I will give you one word of caution, Tetsuya.”

The blue-eyed Kuchiki looked back at his cousin questioningly.

“If you do, in fact, bear the soul of the true king’s heir inside you, then you will be able to pass through the door at the back of the archive that is an entrance into the royal realm. The door is only able to be used by the leader of the Kuchiki clan or a member of the royal family. I would test our theory about the two of you now, but it would be reckless and too dangerous, given that we do not know who may have covered up the heir’s existence, why they did so, or who might oppose us exposing all of this.”

“If it was enough to spook the king into concealing everything…” Juushiro mused.

“Exactly,” Byakuya said, nodding, “Tetsuya, do not approach the door into the royal realm until I return.”

“I won’t,” Tetsuya promised.

“And whatever you do, even if I am intercepted and cannot return, you two must not leave the archive. It is the only safe place for you right now.”

“We will wait for you here,” Jushiro affirmed.

“Perhaps while I am gone, the two of you can attempt to unlock more of these memories. The more information we have about these past events, the better we can anticipate the best path for you to take.”

“I’m sure there is no safe path,” Tetsuya said solemnly.

“Most probably not,” his cousin agreed, “Please, be cautious.”

“You are the one going out and risking discovery,” Juushiro said pointedly, “Byakuya, you must also be very careful.”

“I couldn’t stand to lose you,” Tetsuya said anxiously, “I would not have survived Itamigiri without you.”

“I will be careful,” Byakuya assured him, pulling Tetsuya close for a moment, before taking Toshiro’s hand and heading for the archive door.

Tetsuya watched silently as Byakuya exited alongside Toshiro and Torio left the archive, then he turned to his own attendant.

“Koji, will you please continue gathering the references our cousin requested? Juushiro and I must resume our efforts to unlock more of the memories that we have been recovering.”

“Of course, Tetsuya-san,” Koji answered, bowing respectfully, before heading towards the book stacks again.

Tetsuya turned and looked quietly up at his husband. Juushiro smiled and slipped a hand into his.

“Are you hungry?” he asked, “Our work is important, but we also need to take care of ourselves.”

“Are you hungry?” Tetsuya asked, “With everything going on, I can’t seem to think of eating.”

“I also feel pretty distracted,” Juushiro admitted, “Perhaps we should work at it for a little while, but stop in a couple of hours if we have not made progress.”

Tetsuya nodded.

“That sounds reasonable.”

The two walked back to their bedroom and Juushiro closed the door behind them. He noticed immediately that Tetsuya stopped short of the bed and went still, facing away from him. Approaching in slow, measured steps, he walked to Tetsuya and slid comforting arms around him. He brought his lips to the younger man’s ear and lowered his voice to a gentle purr.

“Tetsuya, I know you are having mixed feelings about us making love while under the influence of the memories. Just so you know, I do not expect this changes things for us. We may be those two from the past, that is true. But, it is also true that we are who we have become. When we lie down together and we are not seeking the past, it will always be okay if you do feel you can…”

Tetsuya turned suddenly, crashing his lips roughly into the elder man’s and bringing him down onto the bed. He fed on his husband’s mouth passionately for several long moments before breaking away and looking into his eyes.

“You really do understand me…in a way no one else does!” he exclaimed softly, “I appreciate that more than you know. But, the truth is that being in touch with Taki’s soul has given me a better understanding of what is bringing us together. While it is true that part of my reticence had to do with what Orochi did to me, part of it was that I felt out of control, as though I had no choice. But being Taki for a moment, the way he felt about Kitaro is the way that I feel about you. It doesn’t matter anymore that we were forced to marry. I love you. It is my choice to do so, and I want very much for us to be together of our own free will. I am ready to offer you my love. If you are also ready, then I want us to be together.”

Juushiro’s green eyes softened and his smile became hypnotically beautiful. He met Tetsuya for another bout of playful, affectionate kisses, then pulled him to his knees on the bed. Tetsuya opened his yukata, baring the lovely flesh hidden beneath and loosing a sweet, delicious breath of sakura mingled with the scent of fine leather. Juushiro pulled the tie at his waist free and let his yukata fall open, revealing his own pale and surprisingly muscular body. He reached out a hand, sinking warm fingers into Tetsuya’s tumbled hair and curving them around a soft cheek to draw him closer for another kiss. Tetsuya moved forward, spreading his thighs and sliding onto his elder husband’s lap, bringing their alert nether part into contact.

“We’ll go slowly,” Juushiro promised, running a hand down Tetsuya’s slender back and pulling him closer, “You tell me if you become uncomfortable.”

“I will.”

Tetsuya’s head tilted to the side and he nipped playfully at his husband’s throat as Juushiro reached into the nightstand and retrieved a bottle of lubricant. He worked the slippery fluid onto the fingers of one hand as Tetsuya clung to him, nibbling contentedly at his neck and shoulder. He flinched only slightly at the first touch and closed his eyes for a moment. Juushiro paused and stroked Tetsuya’s thick mane and the smooth skin of his back, kissing him tenderly on the flushed skin under his chin as he began a slow preparation.

“Look at me, _Tetsu-koi_ ,” he whispered, “Look right into my eyes.”

Tetsuya’s chin rose and his bright sapphire eyes locked on Juushiro’s handsome green orbs. Juushiro read the little remnants of lingering fear, but a deeper affection he felt to be much stronger.

“You _are_ ready,” he breathed happily, “I know you’re still a little afraid, but I see such love, such courage in your eyes, Tetsuya. Never in my long years have I seen anything so beautiful!”

Tetsuya’s fingers clenched as Juushiro removed his fingers and took hold of the younger man’s hip, positioning him, then coaxing him very slowly downward. Tetsuya’s body trembled softly at the feeling of invasion, but Juushiro’s tender reassurances and gentle kisses soothed him quickly. When their bodies were fully joined, Tetsuya’s head fell onto his husband’s shoulder and he made little panting breaths as he adjusted.

“Are you all right?” Juushiro asked, kissing his earlobe.

“Fine,” Tetsuya assured him, “It’s okay to move now. I’m all right.”

He sucked in a flustered breath as Juushiro’s hips moved, bucking upward slightly and impacting inside, making Tetsuya’s fingers dig in where they held onto him. Tetsuya’s hips moved against his, rising and falling, bringing intense friction and tightness that stoked his husband’s igniting passions. The dark centers of Juushiro’s eyes lit, and he surged forward, bringing Tetsuya down on his back. He worried for a moment that he might have been too forceful, but Tetsuya moaned erotically, spreading his thighs wide and arching his back. Where his blue eyes usually radiated with gentleness and shyness, they now sparked with untamed desire.

_This is the side of Tetsuya that people rarely see, the feral, half-wild side that hates wearing clothes, being indoors and following any rules but the ones he holds as his own! The years of torment, then years of careful training with Byakuya wrote over this side, making him quiet and compliant on the outside, so that he could fit into the Kuchiki family…so that he could earn a place close to his cousin, who saved him. But finally…finally Tetsuya sees that there is someone who loves this side of him, who loves and desires all of him._

_Yes, Tetsu-koi, you are truly free in these arms._

As though he had shouted the words aloud, Tetsuya shivered warningly, then overthrew him suddenly, stealing the upper position and moving his hips in a captivating, erotic dance. His lips smiled and his blue eyes flashed as he gasped and moaned loudly, his slighter body quaking and glowing with barely restrained power as he approached release. Juushiro’s hips bucked upward, hard, exciting a ringing cry from his younger partner’s lips as Tetsuya gave in to the gripping shudders of an almost violent release. The sound undid Juushiro’s still undulating body, leaving him panting hard and writhing as loosed himself into his lover and watched adoringly as Tetsuya collapsed onto his chest. Trembling fingers brushed a tumble of hairs out of Tetsuya’s eyes and Juushiro sighed in happiness and relief at finding only sleepy contentedness.

“I love you so much, _Tetsu-koi_ ,” he breathed dreamily, “The greatest, most unexpected gift in my life was meeting you.”

“It was meant to be,” Tetsuya whispered back, burrowing closer to him, “There could never be anyone meant for me, but you.”


	21. Legends

Tetsuya woke well before dawn to find himself in a sweaty, naked tangle with his deeply sleeping husband. He very slowly extracted himself, careful not to stir the handsome, white-haired man who shared his bed. The softness of the tumbled bedding and the gentle scents of their many bouts of lovemaking made him want to lie down again, but his improving senses picked up a lag in his husband’s reiatsu and Tetsuya smiled lovingly.

_You worry so much about me, Juushiro, that you forget that you are still recovering from the incursion of a god in your body. You require food and rest…and you require frequent reiatsu infusions._

Tetsuya extended a slender hand and curved it around Juushiro’s soft cheek. Gentle blue light glowed around it as he raised his power and coaxed his husband into an even deeper rest.

_My powers have returned enough that I can see to basic healing now. I can give you the healing you need. I still need to find answers to unlock the greater powers I sense in my changed zanpakutou, but I think you are at the center of that discovery, so it is here that I will begin, just as my discovery of my true self began when I found you on the battlefield that day._

_I had no idea…_

_As I walked through the field of destruction, my eyes full of tears because most of the people I found there were dead, you were still breathing. I ran to you and fell to my knees at your side, Juushiro. I turned you over and your face, although filthy, was so beautiful and serene, even as it is now in restful sleep. I knew then that you meant to sacrifice yourself for a greater good. That is the gift that you have always been to Soul Society. I have always treasured the many stories of Ukitake taichou’s kindness, his courage, his caring and his wisdom. I knew what a loss it would be, and my tears rolled down and splashed onto your face. I felt something breaking inside my heart…and it was then that the healing power exploded around me and freed you from Mimihagi’s grasp. Only the power of a greater god could stop the power of a god. I am afraid of what that means, but as long as I have you, I will tread the pathway of my life bravely. I will learn who I am, and I will be who I was meant to be. That is a good thing, because it is all in my heart…and my heart loves with a ferocity that has survived the worst that hatred can offer. That heart belongs to you now. I love you. I feel like I have loved you forever. And I know that love is eternal._

_Thank you, Juushiro._

He finished the infusion and sat back, laying his hands in his lap and enjoying the gentle rush of healing reiatsu he still radiated. He breathed slowly, admiring the beauty of the man in front of him. The long strands of his husband’s white hair, although riled, still looked lovely. Age looked not to have touched his face at all. His pale skin glowed gently, and his lips seemed locked in a contented smile. Blushing, Tetsuya leaned forward and opened Juushiro’s yukata, baring his healing body. His heart warmed at how the gauntness had left the man’s body completely, and his torso had filled out and grown muscular and fit again. He found the pleasant masculine scent of the man almost intoxicating.

_I want him to make love to me again, and we have been intimate more times than I can count tonight. It is like once Juushiro entered my heart and broke through the scars of the cruelty I faced before, the floodgates opened and I could finally give all of myself to someone who could give all of himself in return. He is a gentle man, yes, but he is also fiercely passionate. When his body possessed mine, I felt what a powerful person he is, but I also felt the greater power of this man’s heart. This is the force that was needed to help me move past the atrocities of the past…the lies that were built around me. He helped me to discover that part of myself that laid hidden._

_Yes, Taki…he helped me to find you._

_I understand that somehow your soul fused with mine as mine formed. I am not completely you, nor you me, but we exist together now. I have fought and suffered and slowly learned that I am meant to be a healer, just as you did. And I have found Juushiro, who is one with Kitaro’s kind and powerful soul, who protects me and loves me as Kitaro protected and loved you. I promise you, Taki, I will follow this to the truth. Whatever it is that you and Kitaro need, Juushiro and I will see done._

Tetsuya took a steadying breath and summoned his zanpakutou to his hand. He extended it, tip down in front of him, balancing it carefully that way above the bed, in between himself and Juushiro’s resting form.

_While Byakuya-sama is gone, I will work to find the truth about this sword…what power it holds, and how it fits into the things about to happen._

He focused intently, letting his reiatsu radiate around him, and feeling Taki’s gentle presence guiding him.

 _You know already the water spirit who you call Re-kuhime_ , the prince’s voice told him, _Re-kuhime is part of this sword’s power. Tetsuya, this sword is a divine weapon, so you must always respect its ability._

“I will,” Tetsuya whispered.

 _Good_ , Taki said approvingly, _then you are ready to meet the other spirits_.

“Other spirits?”

Tetsuya felt the invisible barrier that had been preventing him from entering his inner world give way, and he dropped down into the oddly misted environs. He still recognized the open, tree covered land, the lovely lake in the distance, and the sunshine that had only recently begun to light his evernight world. But the mist now enshrouded everything, turning the trees into shadowy shapes, billowing over the lake and filtering the light of the newly risen sun.

 _Do you feel the others?_ Taki’s voice inquired, _Re-kuhime is the spirit who was hiding them from you, although she did not know this. Her mist and reflections kept them safe as you grew, Tetsuya. You mastered Re-kuhime, yes, but these other spirits remained untamed. Look in the mist now!_

Tetsuya’s breath caught and he found himself struggling to keep his feet as something shook the ground under his feet. Wind exploded through the area around him, blowing the petals off the trees, then something fiery hissed somewhere in the space in front of him, burning away the mist.

_Hanekaji, the fire princess._

_Kazemikoto, the Air Lord_

_And Yamatsuchi, the Earth Lord_

_With Re-kuhime, they form the sword whose name you will learn. This weapon is the reflection of the heart that beats within you, Tetsuya. They are the power that brings the true desires of your heart to life. In all living things, there is a balance of these four forces. All living things the king has made are elemental creatures…and your power, our power, Tetsuya, is to control and balance those forces._

Tetsuya’s eyes blinked and stared as the mist returned in a swirl in front of him, then spread out as fire lit the area behind it, showing him an image of himself, kneeling at Ukitake’s side at the time of the doomed taichou’s healing.

 _You do not yet understand why you were able to heal Juushiro_ , Taki continued _, You did not understand what power Re-kuhime accessed to heal Arata. Those acts of healing required the power of this sword…now…watch as I show you how it happened!_

Tetsuya’s breath caught and he watched in wonder as the image before him took on the color and life of the moment of his husband’s healing. He saw his eyes glaze over and thin ribbons of blue, brown, red and white stream from his fingertips and into the fallen taichou’s motionless form.

_All living things are elementals…people, plants, animals…all. Injury is caused by the disruption of those forces. A force that strikes the target and knocks those things out of balance. This sword that you possess, is a sword that senses these imbalances, and it uses your reiatsu to heal by restoring them. Too much fire burns. Too much earth smothers. Too much wind tumbles. Too much water drowns. All of the elements must be in balance or…_

“Or life ceases,” Tetsuya whispered.

_Think of the gardens at Kuchiki Manor. You felt it, didn’t you? The quincies blasted the earth, burned it with fire, drowned it in water and smothered all of the life it held. Your power brought everything back into balance and returned every blade of grass they ruined._

_Just…remember this warning._

_Healing comes from your heart, Tetsuya, so your heart must be very strong. You suffered greatly in the past, but you have endured and you still possess great respect and love for all life. You know in your heart that you could not even bear to see your wicked cousin or an enemy quincy die needlessly. You have gained wisdom to know when to employ your talent and how much of yourself to give to the healing. You can master this sword, but you will need all of your strength to do so._

_You are ready for the test._

“What must I do?”

Tetsuya sensed then that the four spirits had moved in and were radiating their power, one to the north, another to the south, one east and one west. Re-kuhime hovered in front of him, her blue wings fluttering and her large eyes fearful, but hopeful.

 _We need one more thing before we begin_ , Taki explained.

Tetsuya’s heart pounded as the voice seemed to radiate closer, then he spotted three bodies forming behind Re-kuhime. The first was the prince of his dreams, his slender body wrapped in a lovely blue yukata and his black locks wild. His blue eyes focused on Tetsuya’s and the prince smiled.

“It is good to meet you face to face, Ukitake Tetsuya,” Taki greeted him, moving closer to take his hand.

White-haired Juushiro and dark-haired Kitaro joined him.

“Juushiro!” Tetsuya exclaimed, rushing to his husband and embracing him with shaking arms.

“Yes, I see,” the white-haired taichou said wonderingly, “So, you are ready to learn your sword’s true name?”

“I am,” Tetsuya answered, looking back at Taki, who was embracing Kitaro.

“We are here to help you, Tetsuya,” Taki promised.

“What must I do?” Tetsuya asked.

“The three of us will move outside the circle and raise a barrier to protect your inner world,” Taki explained, “because the forces in this blade will be dangerous as you work to master them. Each of the spirits will enter your body and you will bring the four into balance. It will test the limits of your body, the endurance of your mind and the strength of your heart, pushing you to the breaking point. Just remember to seek balance and you will be all right.”

“Balance,” Tetsuya repeated, closing his eyes and taking a steadying breath as the others took up protective positions around him.

The four spirits waited until the others had moved away, then raised their power, each glowing brightly. They spun in a circle around the slender shinigami who stood at the center of the circle. Faster and faster, the three spun, tightening the circle and raising their reiatsu until it howled in his ears. Then, as he focused intently inward, steeling himself in preparation, the four turned and dove into his body as one.

XXXXXXXXXX

Ichigo sat silently at Uryu’s side, the fingers of one hand entwined with his quincy lover’s and a solemn expression on his face. On the other side of the hospital bed, Orihime held her golden power over their friend and her brow furrowed in deep concentration. Renji stood nearby, leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. Rukia stood quietly at his side, frowning in frustration. Sado sat in a chair near Ichigo, focusing on Uryu’s discomfited face.

“Hey,” Renji said, glancing at Orihime, “any change?”

The young woman sighed and shook his head.

“I can feel the power that is interfering with mine as I try to wake him. I’m working my way through it. It’s just taking a long time.”

“She’ll wake him up,” Ichigo growled softly, “and we’re gonna make the bastards who did this to him pay!”

“You know that isn’t going to be easy,” Rukia said sternly, “This was probably ordered by Nacht. He considered Uryu a traitor for working with us shinigamis to try to end the last of the confrontations.”

“He wasn’t betraying anyone or doing a thing wrong,” Ichigo said unhappily, “He was trying to get both sides to work on making peace together, but I don’t think peace is on Nacht’s agenda.”

“No,” Sado agreed, turning his eyes to meet Ichigo’s, “In fact, it seems like he wants more to continue Ywach’s war.”

“Not for Ywach,” Ichigo said in a low, furious tone, “But for himself. He doesn’t give a shit about the people who will pay the price.”

“The problem we have now is that Uryu was our way of spying on their plans. It’ll be harder to anticipate their moves without his advice and input.”

“I guess that was what Nacht was going for,” Renji said dryly.

“Well, we have to find a way to stop him,” Ichigo argued.

“How do we do something like that?” Renji objected, “It’s not like we can just go traipsing into the shadows. I’ve been there and I can tell you that they guard those sun gate keys closely and manipulate what gates open and where, so even if we get a key, it’ll be dangerous going in. there.”

“Renji is right,” Sado said, frowning and closing his eyes for a moment, “We have to focus on waking Uryu. We need him before we can take any action.”

Rukia gave the others a guarded look.

“We may have something important going for us,” she said softly, “I heard that Tetsuya and Ukitake taichou are in the Kuchiki archive, and that Tetsuya is getting his powers back. Between Tetsuya’s healing power and Ukitake taichou’s ability to now use his bankai, we are stronger than we were before.”

“I guess we’ll see,” Ichigo said, still looking at Uryu, “Uryu said that they were being targeted too.”

“Nii-sama knows about that,” Rukia assured him, “He won’t let anyone to hurt them. It’ll be okay. Let’s just keep our attention on Uryu. We need to get through to him, whatever it takes.”

“Hey!” Ichigo exclaimed softly, “guys, I think he moved!”

Ichigo leaned closer to Uryu’s slightly moving lips. He strained his ears and barely picked up a whisper.

“Tetsuya,” the quincy youth managed shakily.

“It’s me. It’s Ichigo,” Ichigo said, patting Uryu’s hand, “I’m right here.”

“T-tetsuya!” Uryu gasped, writhing as pain seemed to suddenly register in his quivering form, “Nacht w-wants his h-healing p-power! He’s sent people t-to kidnap Tetsuya!”

“Don’t worry,” Rukia said, leaning close to him, “Nii-sama has placed Tetsuya and Ukitake taichou in a place where the quincies can’t reach them.”

“You have to t-tell Byakuya…th-there’s a monster in the palace!”

The others looked on in dismay as Uryu shuddered and fell still again.

“Uryu!” Ichigo called out urgently, patting his lover’s face, “C’mon Uryu!”

He turned desperate eyes on Orihime.

“Isn’t there anything you can do?”

“I’m doing all I can!”

“What do you think he meant, _There’s a monster in the palace?_ ” Renji mused, shaking his head in confusion, “Was he talking about the royal palace? The quincy palace?”

“He could have been referring to Nacht as a monster, maybe,” Sado theorized.

“I don’t know,” Rukia said, rubbing her chin thoughtfully, “I mean, he was desperate for us to know that. He knows we already get that Nacht is a really bad guy.”

“It makes more sense if he was talking about the royal realm,” Renji concluded, “But, we were in the palace when Ywach was there and we didn’t run into any monsters except quincies.”

“That’s true,” Rukia agreed, “but we weren’t really there that much, and we didn’t explore, because we were all trying to get to the throne room to find Ywach. If there was a monster, we could just have not run into him.”

“And if it was a monster that the quincies were worried about, wouldn’t that mean it was on our side?” Orihime asked tentatively.

“But then, why would Uryu be so worried we should know about it?” Rukia asked.

“I guess you’re right,” Orihime said, reaching down to touch Uryu’s face.

“Guys,” Renji said anxiously, “I think we need to get the message to Kuchiki taichou.”

“I think you’re right,” Rukia agreed.

“Why don’t you guys take the message?” Sado suggested, “Ichigo, Orihime and I will keep trying to talk to Uryu.”

“Sado’s right,” Renji agreed, “We should…”

He broke off as several flash steps sounded and two disheveled male forms appeared. Rukia’s eyes rounded at the sight of the two.

“Torio! Koji!” she cried, coming to her feet, “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“It’s B-byakuya-s-sama!” Torio panted, leaning heavily against his brother, “He and Hitsugaya taichou have been abducted!”


	22. Balance of Four

Tetsuya closed his eyes, expecting a rush of heat, pain and sound, but the brushing of gentle coolness and the dampening of sound that surrounded him came as a surprise. He tried to open his eyes again, but found he couldn’t move. Just as he began to feel the rise of panic, Re-kuhime’s familiar voice spoke into his frightened mind.

“I am with you,” she said bracingly, her voice echoing over the distant sounds of the other elements trying to attack, “Because we have been together since the beginning, you reached for me instinctively. It was a good instinct. The others are feral, untamed, so we have to find a way to bring them into balance within you.”

Tetsuya felt a twinge of surprise.

“Within me?” he repeated softly, “But, I thought that the forces within me were in balance. From the visions that Taki has shared with me, creatures that are out of balance become demons, and are banished to the Daemon Rift.”

“That is true,” Re-kuhime confirmed, “but it is not your shinigami body that is out of balance. It is the forces within your spirit core, which you are trying to manipulate. While you were younger and unaware, the power of the other three spirits slept within your spirit core. As a shinigami, you could only master one, and the one who you bonded with and awakened in your youth was me.”

“But, you knew about the others?” Tetsuya asked, frowning, “Why didn’t you ever tell me they were there?”

“You must understand, Tetsuya, even though I am descended of Taki’s power, like him, I was reborn. And when I was born into your soul, I did not remember what came before, any more than you remembered your life as Taki. I did not sense the others sleeping in your core. This is why our bond was disrupted when your true power began to fully awaken.”

“And it was healing Juushiro that awakened my true powers?” Tetsuya asked, seeing his husband’s handsome, smiling face in his mind.

“Kitaro, now born as Juushiro, was the spark that began your reawakening.”

“So,” Tetsuya concluded, “I really am Taki?”

Re-kuhime smiled at him warmly.

“You are Kuchiki Tetsuya, who was formed, using the transcendent prince’s life essence. You bear his heart and his memories, and they have come back to guide you. But, your current incarnation is Tetsuya. You are what Taki was, and you are also who you have made yourself in this life.”

The pixie’s eyes narrowed and held his sternly.

“While it is true that you were going to awaken eventually, as all creatures, you were free to choose your path, to follow your heart and to be the person you chose to be. You should never limit yourself to being simply _Taki_. You are Kuchiki Tetsuya, born among the shinigamis and bearing within him the potential to grow the powers gifted to him by Taki, crown prince of the royal realm.”

Tetsuya took a steadying breath and nodded, gaining a measure of calm from the pixie spirit’s explanation.

“Byakuya-sama has said to me many times that we have a destiny, but we are the ones who decide what part we will play in our destiny. Aizen Sousuke was born with powers beyond those of any shinigami, and he chose a dark path.”

“You could have chosen a dark path as well,” Re-kuhime affirmed, “but despite being tempted by the cruelty and hatred that enslaved you as a child, you chose the lighted path.”

Tetsuya smiled.

“I think I could only do so because Byakuya-sama came for me and protected me.”

Re-kuhime went silent for a moment, her blue wings flitting as she considered.

“I believe it was his fate to rescue us,” she said finally, “He chose how he would act within that destiny. He saved us and nurtured us, helping us to grow strong.”

“I begin to see now, how our powers grew to a point, but that we waited then, for the time to awaken more of our powers.”

Tetsuya sighed softly, placing a hand over his beating heart.

“I always wondered what it was that ached inside, that always felt unfinished. I had grown to be everything Byakuya-sama had envisioned I would be, a good, strong noble son…and yet, I sensed there was something more. Where I saw pain, I wanted to heal it. Where I saw suffering, I wanted to end it.”

“You have a healer’s heart,” Re-kuhime acknowledged, her pretty blue face reflecting deep regret, “Tetsuya, I am sorry now that I ever agreed to lie to you. I only meant…”

“Stop,” Tetsuya said, reaching out and touching her cheek gently, “You have a destiny too. You made your choices, and I believe you made them as well as you could.”

“I feared the hatred that had held us apart for so many years. I worried because you were small and weak. I didn’t give you credit for being strong enough to survive until you were freed. My power didn’t do that, Master, your heart gave you that strength.”

“The past is done,” Tetsuya said firmly, “What matters now is using the strength we have to bring the others here into balance.”

Re-kuhime nodded.

“Only give me the word when you are ready. I will let one through at a time to allow you time to master them. Which of the spirits do you wish to challenge first?”

Tetsuya considered carefully.

“Hmm, this is a difficult choice,” he thought aloud, “I am tempted to say fire, because we control water and ice, but I sense the chaos in that spirit, and I think she is better tamed with more elements on our side. Earth is a possibility, but could become problematic without controlling fire, which can scorch him.”

“So, you think the wind spirit?”

Tetsuya bit his lip gently and nodded.

“The wind is the breath of life. Even being able to breathe in your water requires the taking of breath. So, I think wind is the best choice to challenge first.”

“Very well,” Re-kuhime answered, nodding as she raised a small hand and created an opening in the barrier, “Master, meet Kazemikoto, the Air Lord!”

XXXXXXXXXX

Juushiro watched closely as Re-kuhime’s power wrapped around Tetsuya, closing the two away. Taki’s eyes glowed brightly, and he extended a hand towards his encased descendant, pouring his strength into their bond.

“We are one,” the crown prince whispered, closing his blazing orbs, “Our powers are one, I am ever with you, Tetsuya.”

“Juushiro,” Kitaro called softly, making the shinigami taichou look up to meet his gaze, “Taki is helping Tetsuya, and we must protect the two while Tetsuya attempts to master his powers.”

“How do we do this?” Juushiro asked.

“We must hold a balance as well,” the samurai explained, “It is no mistake of chance that your power and mine, like Taki’s and Tetsuya’s, are related.”

Juushiro found himself smiling.

“Offense and defense,” he concluded, “Twin spirits.”

“Yes,” Kitaro agreed, nodding, “We must alternate between protecting Tetsuya as he internalizes his power, and protecting everything else from that power, when it flares. And it will flare. We must link our bankai releases and wrap them around Tetsuya and Taki.”

Juushiro’s green eyes flared with determination and he drew his weapon and held it ready.

“You and I must also keep ourselves in perfect balance,” Kitaro instructed him, “When I attack, you must defend us, and when you attack, I will defend. Let the bond between us open wide. We are the prince’s samurai and we will protect him.”

“Through everything,” Juushiro promised, narrowing his eyes in readiness.

“To the very end,” Kitaro agreed, “ _Bankai_ …”

“ _Kami no Yaiba_ ,” Juushiro breathed.

“ _Sogyo no Kotowari_!” the two finished together.

XXXXXXXXXX

Toshiro strained wildly against his bonds, his blind blue eyes blazing with fury.

“Where is Byakuya?” he demanded, “You can’t do this. You can’t hold us here!”

He reeled as Nacht’s hand struck his cheek and the quincy Kaiser’s fingers dug into his hair and yanked his head back.

“I have not harmed the Kuchiki,” he said sternly, “but I will be happy to bring him out here and let you hear his screams as we torture him in front of you if you do not settle down and cooperate.”

“I am not doing _anything_ for a monster like you!” the white-haired taichou shouted, earning another vicious slap that shattered his bonds and sent him crashing to the rock floor of the cell he had been kneeling in.

“Shinigami dog!” Nacht hissed, motioning for a pair of jailors to join him in replacing the intractable taichou’s bonds and dragging him back onto his knees, “I should just kill you. But I need Kuchiki Tetsuya to come here, and he will only do so if he has hope that I will bargain for your lives.”

“Like he is going to believe anything you say!” Toshiro scoffed, coughing heavily and bending forward as Nacht’s booted foot impacted with his stomach.

“Hold your tongue or I’ll cut it out of you!” Nacht warned him, “I may need you alive, but I’m not concerned if you are damaged.”

“They want Tetsuya’s healing gift,” Byakuya’s voice intoned roughly from somewhere in front of Toshiro.

“Byakuya!” Toshiro exclaimed.

“I told you not to make a sound,” Nacht snarled, touching a button on a small device he held in his hand, and sending a heavy shock through the thick, reiatsu repressing collar the noble wore, “Be quiet, or I will let these men take out their frustrations on you. If you know I need to see your cousin’s healing ability, then you know I don’t mind at all if you take a good beating!”

“You have no idea who you are dealing with,” Byakuya said, clenching his teeth as Nacht turned and glared at him, sending another heavy shock through the collar that dropped the Kuchiki leader onto his stomach on the floor of the cell.

“Oh, should I be afraid of the great leader of the Kuchiki family?” Nacht sneered, aiming a kick at Byakuya’s head, but instead striking a slender arm the noble managed to raise to protect himself, “You are _nothing_ , Kuchiki Byakuya. You are a means to an end, and when I am done with you and your wretched cousin, I will kill both of you!”

“I was not referring to myself,” Byakuya corrected him, crawling onto his knees and fending off another hard kick the Kaiser aimed at him, “It is Tetsuya who you are underestimating.”

“The _healer_?” Nacht scoffed, “I don’t think it’s possible to _under_ estimate a healer, let alone a shinigami healer. He is a means to an end, as are you. All of you are nothing but pawns. You will play your part like good little pieces and then you will die.”

“If that is our fate,” Byakuya said with surprising calm, “But I think you will be the one surprised with your own ending.”

“Oh,” Nacht said, giving him a look of dark amusement, “is that what you think, Byakuya? You think your healer cousin is going to hurt me? Or are you telling me that your back-from-the-dead taichou, Ukitake is going to come after me?”

Nacht’s fingers curled around the handle of a cruel leather whip that he whipped across Byakuya’s face, leaving angry red markings.

“Let him come!” the Kaiser hissed, his lips curling and his eyes glowing with hatred, “I will put him in the ground, where he belongs!”

“Bastard!” Toshiro taunted the furious quincy, “You son of a bitch, don’t touch him!”

“T-toshiro, stop. I’m all right,” Byakuya panted, holding his abdomen.

“You had better listen to your pretty boyfriend,” Nacht advised him, “I don’t actually need both of you. And if you give me any more trouble, I will just kill one of you and let the other suffer alone!”

Toshiro gritted his teeth and fell silent.

“Watch them!” Nacht said in a disgusted tone as he turned to walk out of the cell, “I will be…”

Nacht stiffened as a rumble seemed to issue from the ground, shaking the prison and making the Kaiser’s eyes widen and his hands grip the bars of the cell for support.

“What is this?” he seethed, staring.

Across from him, Byakuya’s lips curved into a taunting smile.

“Don’t you feel it?” he said in a low, pleased tone, “It is Tetsuya and Juushiro’s reiatsu. I do not know exactly what you were planning, but I think it will not be playing out the way you planned it.”

“Don’t take your eyes off of them!” Nacht steamed, heading out of the cell, “If they try anything, knock them out.”

Toshiro waited until the Kaiser was gone, then addressed the guard he sensed nearest him.

“Hey, I don’t mean to cause any trouble, but is Byakuya hurt? Is he bleeding? I can’t see.”

“The Kaiser told you to shut up,” the guard scolded him.

“I’m not causing trouble,” Toshiro said, more tentatively, “C’mon, if it was someone you cared about, you’d want to know too.”

“He’s fine,” answered the other guard, giving his comrade a little shake of his head, “His face is a little cut up. I’ll take care of it.”

“You moron!” the guard nearest Toshiro scolded him, “Don’t…”

“He’s weak as a kitten with that collar on, and if he tries anything, he knows you’ll hurt his friend.”

Byakuya remained still and compliant as the guard bent to begin cleaning the wound on his face.

“Are you all right, Toshiro?” the noble asked softly.

“Yeah, I’m okay. Just a little beat up,” Toshiro assured him, shaking his head regretfully, “Sorry he took his anger at me out on you.”

“That is not your fault,” Byakuya said calmly, “Just try not to anger him anymore. You felt the increase in the intensity of Tetsuya and Juushiro’s reiatsu. When they come for us, they will not hold back. The quincy leader knows this and it could make him become reckless again, as he was when he attacked our base.”

He bit his lip to stop a small, satisfied smile at the spooked look that came into the two guards’ eyes.

“You two should be quiet,” the guard nearest Toshiro said more calmly, “You don’t want to get Kaiser Nacht any more angry than he is. Just do what you’re told and you and your comrade won’t get hurt.”

“Not to get you any more pissed at us,” Toshiro said, frowning, “but you heard him say he’s going to kill us anyway. You know what kind of a man he is. Do you mind if I ask why you’re following him?”

The guard let out a long, shuddering breath.

“We follow because he’s the strongest.”

Byakuya noticed a dark shape moving in the area behind the guard beside Toshiro and his breath caught softly at the fact that the guard healing him had to have seen as well.

“Shh,” the guard breathed as the dark form crept up behind the other guard and dropped him with a quick strike to the back of his head.

He stood up and met the red-haired man’s eyes as he stepped into the light.

“Bazz-B.”

“Thanks for giving me the opening,” Bazz-B said approvingly, “Now, get’em to Haschwald and keep’em safe while I go and find Kuchiki Tetsuya and try to convince those two not to kill us all.”

XXXXXXXXXX

Ichigo sat at Uryu’s side, holding the quincy youth’s hand and watching his labored breathing and fitful sleep.

“C’mon,” he whispered, “we really need you to wake up. Uryu, there’s a lot going on. I don’t know where to start. But we know that you have some information that can help us. The quincies know it too, or they wouldn’t have come after you. We just need you to wake up and talk to us.”

“The quincy power used on him is very strong,” Orihime sighed wearily, “but I’m getting through it. He should wake up soon, Ichigo.”

“Yeah,” Ichigo said, trying not to sound as worried as he felt, “I just wonder if it’s gonna be in time. I just…I feel inside that something big is about to happen. And I know that we need him.”

He reached down to wash the sweat from his lover’s pale face.

“I need your help, Uryu,” he whispered, “C’mon. C’mon back. I know you heard something…or saw something. What was it? Why did the quincies hurt you?”

Ichigo and Orihime’s eyes rounded and Uryu sat up suddenly, his eyes flying wide open and filling with fear.

“Uryu!” Ichigo cried, reaching for him.

“It…it’s happening!” Uryu panted, “What they saw in the picture! He’s going soon. He’s going back to the palace!”


End file.
